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On April 14, 2025, HBO announced the names of six actors who will play key roles in its upcoming Harry Potter series.
According to the announcement, John Lithgow will portray Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer will play Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu will take on the role of Severus Snape, Nick Frost will act as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon will star as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse will assume the role of Argus Filch.
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While the rest of the cast for the Harry Potter series received significant support, Paapa Essiedu's casting as Severus Snape faced intense criticism. This backlash was primarily rooted in his skin color.
Fans of the book argued that Essiedu, being Black, did not match Snape's physical characteristics, which depicted him as White. They also claimed that Harry, who is White, bullying Snape, who is Black, would fundamentally alter the dynamics of their relationship.
"HBO just officially killed their show in the womb…Snape is white in the books, so he should be white in the show. This is just DEI nonsense. Now imagine what’ll look like when white James Potter bullies black Severus Snape… Great way to push a racism, victim agenda," one user on the platform said.
"The point is, Snape isn’t black, but when James Potter inevitably bullies him, like he does in the books, Snape will be seen as a victim of “white privilege” or some racial nonsense…," another user said.
"James's response to Lily when asked why he hates Snape is, "It's more the fact that he exists." That will hit way differently with the racial angle being added," a user said.
That said, some people supported Paapa Essiedu's casting in the Harry Potter series.
"This might be a weird take but i stand by it: Its a bit racist to suggest that the only thing a person can be bullied for is the colour of their skin.. Can black people not be bulloed for being weird, nerdy, smelly, wearing glasses, being terrible at sport?," one X user said.
"I don’t think so! As a true Harry potter fan. I am glad to see a Black man playing professor Snape. No other YT man can be Alan Rickman. He brought rizz to Snape. A new fresh revamp to Snape is very much NEEDED," another user said.
"Snape is hardly innocent. He was a bully as a student too. This is about kids doing dumb stuff, race has nothing to do with it," one person said on the platform said.
Has HBO announced the actor who would play Lord Voldemort in the upcoming Harry Potter series?
HBO has yet to announce the character of Lord Voldemort for its Harry Potter series. Several names have been circulating for months, including Cillian Murphy, known for his roles in Peaky Blinders and Oppenheimer.
However, Channing Dungey, Chairperson of Warner Bros. Television, disclosed in a conversation with Deadline on April 11, 2025, that they have not finalized the role. Dungey's statement during the interview aligns with the fact that Voldemort's role was not announced alongside the casting of the Harry Potter series.
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