Who will play younger Dumbledore in the next Fantastic Beasts movie?

Following the announcement that Harry Potter character Albus Dumbledore will be appearing in the sequel to the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, there has been plenty of speculation about who might snag the role.

From the moment it was announced that Johnny Depp would be playing the character of Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter prequel, fans started discussing whether the dark wizard would meet his old friend Dumbledore on screen.

In the Harry Potter novels, the dark wizard Grindelwald's rise to power is a crucial part of Dumbledore's backstory. While Grindelwald makes a brief appearance in the first Fantastic Beasts movie, Dumbledore, the future Hogwarts headmaster, does not.

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Nevertheless, author-turned-screenwriter JK Rowling has said that the story arc of the Fantastic Beasts films (five in all) will run over a 19-year period and that both Dumbledore and Grindelwald will play major roles in the series.

Rowling has also said that Dumbledore is gay, and that he fell in love with the brilliant Grindelwald, but was later horrified when Grindelwald revealed his true self.

So who will play the young Dumbledore in the upcoming Beasts films?

Jared Harris

Jared Harris, 55, is a popular choice for a number of reasons – none less so than the fact that he's the son of Richard Harris, the original Dumbledore.

Harris is the fan favourite, with one Reddit user going so far as to make a mock-up of what Jared would look like in the role. However, the actor himself is sceptical that film bosses will follow the fans, says the Evening Standard. Filmmakers "don't like to have their hands forced", he said, adding: "These campaigns almost always go in a different direction."

Benedict Cumberbatch

One of Hollywood's most likeable actors, Benedict Cumberbatch's quintessential Englishness seems like a near-perfect fit for the role, according to fans and media.

Time Out is particularly enamoured with the idea, saying: "He's as British as they come. He can do a good booming, authoritarian voice, and he definitely has the theatrical presence... He'll also be as big a star as ever with global audiences after the massive success of Doctor Strange."

Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor is a bit of an outsider in the discussion, but there are a number of strings to the Scottish actor's bow that may help him in taking on the role.

Vanity Fair notes that McGregor has experience of playing the younger version of an iconic character: "He played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels, deftly embodying a younger Alec Guinness and making his character the highlight of all three films."

He also has a "habit of playing some of film's most insistent optimists", from Christian in Moulin Rouge to a young Ed Bloom in Big Fish, says Vanity Fair – plus he has "box office potential".

Damian Lewis

Homeland star Damian Lewis has also been suggested as a possible contender for the role. CinemaBlend says it's not hard to picture him playing the "kind and compassionate side of Albus Dumbledore, and then easily shifting gears to be the formidable magical force if and when the time calls for it".

Fantastic Beasts director David Yates says he "loves" Lewis, but warns that at 45 he "might be too young". This would appear to rule out Cumberbatch (40) and McGregor (45) as well, although film makers have been known to change their minds...