Social Media Erupts Over Reported Casting of Paapa Essiedu as Snape in HBO’s Harry Potter TV Series

Well, well, well—HBO has done it again. Just when Harry Potter fans were cautiously optimistic (or at least resigned) about the upcoming TV reboot, Deadline dropped the bombshell that British actor Paapa Essiedu is reportedly set to play Professor Severus Snape, the eternally bitter, greasy-haired potions master. And let’s just say, the internet is not handling it well.

While Essiedu is widely respected for his performances in I May Destroy You and The Lazarus Project, many fans are losing their minds over the fact that Snape, canonically described as “sallow-skinned” and deathly pale, will now be played by a Black man. Others, however, are gleefully embracing the chaos.

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As soon as Deadline‘s report hit the timeline, fans scrambled to process their emotions. Confusion, rage, joy, and unfiltered shitposting ensued.

One user summed up their disbelief, tweeting:

“I will never understand how they lie about ‘oh this is going to be more in line with the books than the movies were’ and then they do this. There are a ton of main characters that didn’t have specific and detailed info about their features. Snape is not one of those.”

Others took a more historical approach, warning that this casting would unearth some deep-seated ugliness from the fandom:

“Somebody protect this man bc he’s gonna have slurs thrown at him that haven’t been heard since Reconstruction by 40-year-old white dorks.”

And then, of course, there’s the inevitable “this is ruining the lore!” argument, with one person dramatically declaring:

“Sorry, but in the book they mention that Snape is a pale man with greasy hair, what are you telling me?”

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Harry Potter fans are no strangers to controversy, but this one has ignited a particularly unhinged debate about race, character integrity, and what it really means to be a miserable, brooding incel in a cloak.

On one side, you have the purists, clutching their well-worn paperbacks and screaming about authenticity. They argue that Snape’s paleness and overall “sickly Victorian orphan” aesthetic are essential to his character. One user put it bluntly:

“The edgy, heartbroken, miserable brooding type needs a pale white guy.”

Another tweeted:

“Okay but Snape’s motivation was rejection from a white woman, Paapa Essiedu about to look TERRIBLE.”

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One tweet, dripping with chef’s kiss levels of irony, went viral:

“A Black man would be perfect casting for Snape since Harry spends his entire school career going ‘I swear that guy is up to no good’ with no hard evidence and then becomes a cop.”

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