'Harry Potter' Fans Rage Against Paapa Essiedu's Potential Severus Snape Role
British actor Paapa Essiedu is reportedly in talks to take the role of Professor Severus Snape in HBO's upcoming series adaptation of "Harry Potter."
Essiedu, who starred in "I May Destroy You," is widely reported to be in the running for the iconic role but has no deal in place, according to multiple sources speaking to Variety.
The Hollywood Reporter has also been told by "those close to the situation" that Essiedu has been offered the role, but it is not clear if talks have officially begun.
While the network said they'd heard fan enthusiasm over the mega-series, reps for HBO said they have no specifics beyond what deals are set in stone.
Snape was originally played by the late Alan Rickman, who brought his own kind of charisma and complexity to the character of the potions master in the original "Harry Potter" films.
However, although Essiedu is clearly an actor with an impressive resume, many on social media does not seem to be on board with the potential casting. Others didn't like the choice and even went after the race of the actor.
A certain Peter Paradise said, "So they get the only teacher who was in a gang and made him black?" Another user commented, "All the woke liberals coping in the comments and claiming they're completely fine with this."
On the flip side, a lot of fans have rallied around Essiedu, arguing that Snape is a fictional character and that racial barriers should be broken in casting.
As one user said, "Can't believe people are screaming racism for wanting a character to match the source material."
Another said, "If it's JKs decision, I trust it blindly and think it's a brilliant choice bravo."
Here are other comments from the social media X:
