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Credit: Warner Bros.The Harry Potter reboot has apparently cast its first character – and not everyone is happy about it.
In general, HBO’s Harry Potter reboot has generated plenty of controversy. Not only was the OG film series starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and co. extremely popular, but the franchise itself has taken a reputational hit in recent years due to the ever-growing controversy around the transphobic views of its creator, JK Rowling.
HBO has made it clear that it’s pushing ahead with the reboot regardless, recently claiming that Rowling is entitled to her opinion and that her contributions to the adaptation will be invaluable.
For now, it’s not totally clear when the show’s first season will premiere. However, it’s expected to debut at some point in 2026, with seven subsequent seasons (one per Harry Potter book) following over the next decade.
As we gradually edge closer to this date, we’ll get to meet the actors cast as characters in the first book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Should everything go to plan, this cast will stick with the series all the way through to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” with the young cast essentially growing up on screen, just like their predecessors.
Audiences will obviously be most excited to discover who will play the Golden Trio, AKA Harry, Ron, and Hermione. A casting call was previously shared for the roles, requiring children who would be between the ages of nine and 11 in April 2025, clarifying that they were “inclusive to all races, ethnicities, and gender identities.”
Considering the criticism the original films received for their lack of inclusivity, it’s no surprise that Warner Bros. may want to rectify this issue.
Top Choice for Severus Snape, Revealed
We’re still waiting for updates on this trio, but we do now know who will likely play another big role: Severus Snape.
The Potions professor was portrayed by the late and great Alan Rickman in the original series, with the actor receiving wide praise for his portrayal of the hated Hogwarts teacher turned anti-hero.
This time around, however, The Hollywood Reporter claims that British actor Paapa Essiedu will don Snape’s iconic black cloak. Sources say that Essiedu has been offered the part, but it’s not 100% clear where the studio is in terms of negotiations just yet.
Essiedu is widely recognized in the UK for his role as Kwame, the main character’s (who’s played by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) actress Michaela Coel) best friend, in the British drama I May Destroy You, a performance that earned him a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor.
Fans React to Essiedu’s Casting
While Essiedu’s talent leaves no doubt he’ll excel as Snape, his casting hasn’t pleased everyone. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the criticism around his casting focuses on the fact that some people don’t want a Black actor playing a role previously filled by a white actor (despite the fact that, you know, this is a fantasy series where quite literally nothing is real).
“Cancel the whole show I bet he‘s an amazing actor but he‘s NOT Severus Snape fuck this woke shit,” said one X, formerly known as Twitter, user.
Another wrote: “I hate that I’m now apparently on the side of losers complaining about the race of fictional characters, but Snape is a hook-nosed, greasy-haired white dude, and I will die on this hill.”
Others take more issue with the fact that Warner Bros. may not have cast Essiedu as Snape for the right reasons. “Taking Harry Potter, where most of the non-bigoted fans jumped ship years ago, then looking to cast a black man as Snape is honestly such a cruel set up,” said one X user. “The show doesn’t look more progressive, you’re just putting him in the line of fire of mostly inherently hateful people.”
However, there’s also a lot more positive sentiment towards Essiedu’s casting. As some pointed out, the actor is, first and foremost, more age-appropriate for the role than Rickman ever was, with Snape canonically only in his 30s in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” just like Essiedu, and Rickman in his 50s.
Another noted that “he’s literally an RSC actor. He’s played Hamlet and Romeo, both to critical acclaim. If this news is true, the character of Snape is in excellent hands.”
How do you feel about Essiedu’s casting as Snape?