Paapa Essiedu Cast as Snape in 'Harry Potter' Series Sparks Backlash

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The announcement that Paapa Essiedu will portray Severus Snape in HBO's forthcoming Harry Potter series has ignited conversation across social media, with fans drawing comparisons to other casting decisions that challenged traditional character portrayals.

Essiedu, known for roles in I May Destroy You and The Lazarus Project, joins a high-profile cast including John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Hagrid. The new adaptation, which HBO has described as a "faithful" retelling of J.K. Rowling's original books, is expected to span a decade-long run but according to Deadline, Max, formerly HBO Max, has not disclosed the duration or structure of each season in relation to the individual books.

While the series aims to refresh the franchise for a new generation, Essiedu's casting has brought renewed attention to racial representation in legacy media properties.

Why It Matters

Essiedu's casting follows a recent trend of diversifying historically white characters in mainstream adaptations. Similar discourse followed Halle Bailey being cast as Ariel in Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid, and Zendaya's turn as MJ in Marvel's Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Bailey, speaking to Glamour in 2023, said she sobbed "uncontrollably" after watching young Black girls react to the trailer for The Little Mermaid.

"I was uncontrollably sobbing because it really pulled on something in my heart. The fact that these babies are looking at me and feeling the emotions that they're feeling is really humbling and beautiful thing," she said.

Zendaya faced racial backlash for her casting as MJ, prompting her to address the criticism directly.

"Of course there's going to be outrage over that because for some reason some people just aren't ready," she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016. "I'm like, 'I don't know what America you live in, but from what I see when I walk outside my streets of New York right now, I see lots of diversity and I see the real world and it's beautiful, and that's what should be reflected and that's what is reflected so you're just going to have to get over it.'"

Paapa Essiedu
Paapa Essiedu is seen at the 75th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA's, in London on March 13, 2022. Vianney Le Caer/AP Photos

Who is the Cast for the New Harry Potter TV Series?

According to Deadline, HBO's new Harry Potter series will feature an ensemble of veteran actors taking on the roles of the adult characters. Alongside Essiedu's Snape, the cast includes:

  • John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore
  • Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall
  • Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid
  • Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell
  • Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch

Of the cast, the only member to appear in the original movies is Whitehouse who played Sir Cadogan in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The identities of the younger trio—Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley—have yet to be announced.

What To Know

HBO confirmed the casting of Essiedu and others in a release highlighted by Deadline. "We're delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can't wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life," writer Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod said in a joint statement to Deadline.

Deadline reported that filming is scheduled to start this summer at Leavesden Studios, located about 20 miles outside London. The studio, which hosted production of the original films, now also houses the official Harry Potter Studio Tour.

Essiedu's performance as Snape is anticipated to offer a new interpretation of the character while maintaining the narrative arc from the source material. While the actor has not commented publicly on the casting, the announcement has already spurred discussions online about reimagining legacy roles through inclusive casting.

What Movies and Shows Has Paapa Essiedu Been In?

Essiedu trained with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has built a career on stage and screen. He gained critical acclaim for his performance as Kwame in Michaela Coel's I May Destroy You, a role that earned him a BAFTA nomination. He also starred in The Lazarus Project and appeared in Men, a psychological horror film directed by Alex Garland.

He has been recognized for bringing emotional depth to complex characters and is widely regarded as one of the United Kingdom's most versatile contemporary actors. He's been a nominee for both an Olivier and an Emmy.

What People Are Saying

X user @GoatHerder101 posted: "This is the worst race swap in the modern history of race swaps. Of course racism will be a focal point in Snape's backstory now, since he will bullied mercilessly by James Potter and his friends. HBO has officially divided the fandom before filming has even begun all for the sake of DEI [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion]."

Media personality Jon Root posted to X: "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."

X user @MyNerdyHome posted: "And just like that- everyone who picks on Snape is going to be labeled a racist. In 2025 they would never let the silent hero of this series be a white man. What a shame."

Reddit user u/AMonitorDarkly posted: "I'm not against race swapping a character but Snape is such a bad candidate. The books describe his appearance so vividly."

Reddit user u/buizel123 posted: "I do wonder if they're casting a black actor as Snape just because the producers want to rock the boat intentionally or if Essiedu's audition was genuinely the best out of everyone who tried out for the part. I'm sure that there were multiple rounds of auditions for something this high profile, and a lot of competition. I wish him the best, and hope he does a good job."

Reddit user u/midtrailertrash posted: "I am truly sorry but I cannot get behind Paapa Essiedu playing Snape. I think I will have to pass on this tv series."

Reddit user u/TheJoshider10 posted: "You just know they're going to make Hermione black too. Harry Potter has so many diverse supporting characters that never got a chance to shine and easily could be made more important. We could get the likes of Cho Chang brought into the story sooner as a character with her own agency rather than being nothing more than 'ooo Harry's first crush' in a later book. Why change what already exists when you can elevate the characters that never got a chance to shine in the past? The example I always go to is Spider-Man. Why would you make Peter Parker black, when you can just create a new character. Because of that we got Miles, and now over a decade on from his debut he's a popular Marvel character. Yet Hollywood is so adamant on making unnecessary changes to existing characters, whether that be through race or gender. Do something different that doesn't cause controversy. Create new characters or elevate less known ones so people can have more characters to love rather than replacements for what is already there."

What Happens Next?

HBO has not released a premiere date for the Harry Potter series. Casting is still underway for the three biggest roles—Harry, Hermione, and Ron—with additional roles expected to be revealed in the coming months.

With Essiedu stepping into one of the franchise's most complex roles, anticipation is building over how the reboot will reframe familiar characters for a changing audience.

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About the writer

Jenna deJong is a Newsweek journalist based in Denver, Colorado. Jenna joined Newsweek in May 2024. She is a journalism graduate of Missouri State University and specialized in SEO strategy. At Newsweek, Jenna is a general beat reporter. She's previously written for publications including the Summit Daily News, 417 Magazine and Biz 417 Magazine. In these roles, she's covered topics like housing, crime and public safety, local government, real estate, health, and business. In her career so far, Jenna has won two awards through the Alliance of Area Business Publishers. You can get in touch with Jenna by emailing j.dejong@newsweek.com. Languages: English


Jenna deJong is a Newsweek journalist based in Denver, Colorado. Jenna joined Newsweek in May 2024. She is a journalism ... Read more