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Far left Harry Potter fans out themselves as racist after new casting decision.

Wren Crowe

Paapa Essiedu, known for roles in The Lazarus Project and I May Destroy You, is reportedly in negotiations to play Severus Snape in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, set to premiere in 2026. This reboot aims to adapt J.K. Rowling’s novels with a fresh perspective, but the casting has sparked significant online debate, particularly on X.

Fan Reactions and Racial Complaints


Some fans oppose Paapa Essiedu’s casting as Severus Snape, citing “continuity” with the books’ description of Snape having “sallow skin.” However, research suggests that for many, this is a way to cover up racial biases, especially when X posts explicitly use racial slurs or terms like “blackwashing.” For example, one X user said, “Snape should be white af” (@rgmllr), and another stated, “that fucking negro does not scream snape. stop blackwashing characters meant for whites” (@beyonkeydiddy).

Is It Really About Continuity?
While some fans might genuinely want the character’s appearance to match the books, “sallow skin” doesn’t specify race—it means pale or yellowish, which can apply to various races. Given that Snape’s race isn’t central to his story, objecting based on race seems weak. It’s likely that for many, continuity is a cover for discomfort with a Black actor in a role traditionally seen as white, especially with past examples like Hermione’s casting in Cursed Child showing similar patterns (We Need To Talk About The Backlash To Paapa Essiedu Playing Snape In Harry Potter).

HBO’s Harry Potter reboot, announced for a 2026 premiere, aims to adapt J.K. Rowling’s novels with each season covering one book. Reports from sources like The Hollywood Reporter indicate that Paapa Essiedu, a British actor known for The Lazarus Project and I May Destroy You, is in negotiations to play Severus Snape, previously portrayed by Alan Rickman in the films (Social Media Erupts Over Reported Casting of Paapa Essiedu as Snape in HBO’s Harry Potter TV Series). This casting decision has generated significant attention, with X posts and Reddit threads reflecting a divided fanbase. Some fans are excited about Essiedu’s talent, while others have voiced opposition, citing various reasons including race, book fidelity, and nostalgia for Rickman’s performance.

Evidence of Racial Complaints

To assess claims of racial bias, a detailed search was conducted on X for posts explicitly complaining about Essiedu’s race. Several X posts were identified that mention race in a negative context:

UsernamePost Content (Excerpt)Type (Racial/Continuity)Date and Time (PST)View CountFave Count
@switchdf24“Blackwashing strikes again..”Racial2025-03-07 17:49160
@beyonkeydiddy“stop blackwashing characters meant for whites.”Racial2025-03-07 17:55260
@InwardTower“Blackwashing again but makes more sense..”Racial2025-03-07 09:581067
@kddeluxe“You signed off on the Snape blackwashing? 🤔”Racial2025-03-07 11:582226
@RespectWhites“Blackwashing Snape is just as racist..”Racial2025-03-07 15:453679
@fan123“Paapa doesn’t look like Snape from the books.”Continuity (Hypothetical)N/AN/AN/A
@harrypotterfan“Why change the character’s appearance?”Continuity (Hypothetical)N/AN/AN/A

Given that Snape’s race isn’t explicitly stated in the books

Fan demographic studies provide some context. A Morning Consult report from June 2023 states that the majority of avid Harry Potter fans are white and politically lean Democratic, with Millennials being the largest age group (A Demographic Breakdown of the Harry Potter Fandom). However, this report does not specify sexual orientation, and there is no data linking the backlash to white gay individuals specifically. Articles like one from Newsweek mention “right-wing backlash,” but this does not align with the Democratic-leaning fandom profile and does not mention sexual orientation (Black Actor Rumored for Severus Snape Role Faces Right Wing Backlash).

Given that Snape’s race isn’t central to his story, objecting based on race seems weak. It’s likely that for many, continuity is a cover for discomfort with a Black actor in a role traditionally seen as white,

Research suggests that for many fans, concerns about “race continuity” in casting Paapa Essiedu as Snape are likely a way to cover up racial biases, especially given explicit racial comments on X and patterns in similar casting controversies. While some fans may have genuine, non-racial concerns about book fidelity, the lack of racial specificity in Snape’s description and the presence of derogatory racial language indicate that racial bias is a significant driver. This analysis, conducted as of March 08, 2025, underscores the complexity of fandom reactions, with historical precedents suggesting initial backlash may fade over time.

However, research suggests that for many, this is a way to cover up racial biases, especially when X posts explicitly use racial slurs or terms like “blackwashing.”


While some fans might genuinely want the character’s appearance to match the books, “sallow skin” doesn’t specify race—it means pale or yellowish, which can apply to various races. Given that Snape’s race isn’t central to his story, objecting based on race seems weak. It’s likely that for many, continuity is a cover for discomfort with a Black actor in a role traditionally seen as white, especially with past examples like Hermione’s casting in Cursed Child showing similar patterns (We Need To Talk About The Backlash To Paapa Essiedu Playing Snape In Harry Potter).

HBO’s Harry Potter reboot, announced for a 2026 premiere, aims to adapt J.K. Rowling’s novels with each season covering one book. Reports from sources like The Hollywood Reporter indicate that Paapa Essiedu, a British actor known for The Lazarus Project and I May Destroy You, is in negotiations to play Severus Snape, previously portrayed by Alan Rickman in the films (Social Media Erupts Over Reported Casting of Paapa Essiedu as Snape in HBO’s Harry Potter TV Series). This casting decision has generated significant attention, with X posts and Reddit threads reflecting a divided fanbase. Some fans are excited about Essiedu’s talent, while others have voiced opposition, citing various reasons including race, book fidelity, and nostalgia for Rickman’s performance.

In “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” Snape is described as having “greasy black hair,” “pale skin,” and “dark eyes,” with the term “sallow” used to describe his skin color. “Sallow” refers to a pale, yellowish, or greenish tinge, often associated with illness or lack of vitality (The Casting Genius of ‘Black Severus:’ Paapa Essiedu Chosen as New Snape). While commonly linked to white complexions in cultural imagination, “sallow” isn’t exclusive to any race; a person of color can have sallow skin, and makeup can achieve the look for any actor.

Given that Snape’s race isn’t explicitly stated in the books and isn’t central to his character or plot, objections based on “race continuity” seem weak. The films’ portrayal by Alan Rickman, a white actor, may have solidified fans’ mental image, but that’s an adaptation choice, not a book mandate. Therefore, casting a Black actor like Essiedu isn’t inherently inaccurate; it’s a reinterpretation, and actors can be made to look sallow regardless of base skin color.

The explicit racial X posts, such as those by @beyonkeydiddy and @RespectWhites, leave little doubt about their bias, using derogatory language and framing the casting as “blackwashing.”

The explicit racial X posts, such as those by @beyonkeydiddy and @RespectWhites, leave little doubt about their bias, using derogatory language and framing the casting as “blackwashing.” These represent a subset of the backlash, but their presence suggests racial discomfort is a factor. The continuity arguments, like “he doesn’t fit the description,” could be genuine for some fans, especially those prioritizing book fidelity. However, given the lack of racial specificity in the books and the pattern of racial backlash in similar cases (e.g., a Black Hermione in Cursed Child), it’s likely that many continuity complaints are proxies for racial bias.

For instance, past controversies, like the casting of a Black actress as Hermione in the stage production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, faced similar backlash, with some fans using continuity arguments that were later shown to mask racial biases (We Need To Talk About The Backlash To Paapa Essiedu Playing Snape In Harry Potter). This pattern suggests that in the current case, continuity concerns often serve as a cover, especially when the only significant difference is race.

Historical precedents show that initial backlash to race-bending castings often fades. The Cursed Child Hermione casting faced opposition but didn’t derail the play’s success, which won multiple awards and was widely accepted over time. Similarly, the live-action Little Mermaid with a Black Ariel faced controversy but became a box office hit, suggesting audiences can adapt. This indicates that the current uproar over Essiedu’s casting may diminish, further supporting the idea that racial bias, not continuity, drives initial resistance.

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