Warner Bros announces Black actor Paapa Essiedu as Serverus Snape, fans call it ‘worst race swap in modern hory’ | Hollywood News
For all hardcore Harry Potter fans, Alan Rickman has been THE Severus Snape all this while. However, now the dynamics are about to change as Warner Bros Discovery has decided to cast Black actor Paapa Essiedu as the iconic character in the series adaptation of Harry Potter. Apart from Paapa Essiedu, showrunner and executive producer Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod revealed that John Lithgow will portray Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer will take on the role of Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost will play Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon will appear as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse will portray Argus Filch.
The new casting has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with many users expressing disagreement with the makers — particularly over the casting of a Black actor as Snape.
A user took to X to express his disagreement and wrote, “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 will look like when white James Potter bullies black Severus Snape… Great way to push a racism, victim agenda.”
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 
https://t.co/UXeC7OtFvI pic.twitter.com/1mppJ3qvyg
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) April 14, 2025
Another X user suggested, “Paapa Essiedu should not have been cast Severus Snape in the Harry Potter TV series. Why not focus on expanding actual black characters like Dean Thomas, Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan or Kingsley Shacklebolt?”
Paapa Essiedu should not have been cast Severus Snape in the Harry Potter TV series.
Why not focus on expanding actual black characters like Dean Thomas, Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan or Kingsley Shacklebolt? pic.twitter.com/VMI5y8KXce
— Goat Herder 101 
(@BillyGoat838) April 14, 2025
Yet another X user called it the “worst race swap in the modern hory of race swaps.”
This is the worst race swap in the modern hory of race swaps.
Of course racism will be a focal point in Snape’s backstory now, since he will bullied mercilessly James Potter and his friends.
HBO has officially divided the fandom before filming has even begun all for the… pic.twitter.com/b4OKrBMarn
— Goat Herder 101 (@BillyGoat838) April 14, 2025
Black Harry Potter fan here. I don’t like Snape’s casting.
— Mal Uchiha (@ilovemal__) April 14, 2025
I’ll say it again, Adam Driver would be perfect and they did a stupid race swap for Snape instead. It’s bad casting. Period. pic.twitter.com/Qk18L13qb5
— gosuprime (@gosuprime022) April 14, 2025
The show will be an adaptation of Harry Potter book series author JK Rowling. It will stream exclusively on Max.
