HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series has been mired in controversy from the start. Aside from the fact that J.K. Rowling’s book series has already been adapted into eight movies, the author herself has found herself in hot water due to her opinions on trans issues. Nevertheless, the massive project, expected to release over the course of 10 years, is still going forward, and we just got our first look at some of the players involved.
However, one big change from the film franchise proves that this series may not be an improvement at all, despite its best intentions.
Variety recently listed HBO’s first casting announcements for the series, including John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch. But the most-discussed casting is that of Potions professor Severus Snape, who will be played by Men star Paapa Essiedu.
This casting was rumored before, but the confirmation has caused a lot of racist backlash with fans pointing out Snape is described in the book as “pale.” But those criticisms are completely missing the point — it’s not even the first time a Harry Potter role has been played by a Black actor, as Noma Dumezweni played an older version of Hermione in the Broadway play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. In fact, almost every Hermione in the play has been played by a Black woman.
When this casting was announced back in 2016, Rowling was clear she supported it completely, telling The Guardian, “Hermione can be a black woman with my absolute blessing and enthusiasm.” So despite fans insisting the series needs to be true to Rowling’s initial text, even the author herself is open to changing things.
The true issue with Essiedu’s casting is not that a character will be portrayed as Black, but that this character will be portrayed as Black. Severus Snape is one of the most complicated characters in the entire series, beginning as a Voldemort devotee but ending as a namesake for Harry’s firstborn alongside Dumbledore. If this character is one of the few characters of color in the cast — and so far he’s the only one — then this could change the effects of the story in a way that could completely backfire.
Take, for example, the Boggart, the magical creature introduced in The Prisoner of Azkaban. It’s supposed to take the form of what the observer fears most, and when young Neville Longbottom looks at it, it takes the form of Snape. That makes sense, considering he’s the most intimidating of the Hogwarts faculty. But what will the optics be when it looks like Neville is terrified of one of the few non-white faculty members?
We also know that Snape has a tragic backstory of bullying, being called “Snivellus” by a young James Potter and his friends. With this new dynamic adding to the cast, the bullying goes from an outsider getting othered by a clique to what could be racial discrimination. And it adds another troubling layer to Snape’s decision to join Voldemort and his followers — who were essentially the Harry Potter equivalent of Nazis — if Snape is played a Black man.
This is nothing against Essiedu’s casting in the series as a whole — he’s a wonderful actor, and would make an excellent Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, or even Quirinus Quirrell. But if Snape is one of the few characters of color in this series, it could undo any good intentions for representation. Colorblind casting is great, but regardless, these choices need to be thought out completely.
It’s not too late for this series to make good on this casting choice by casting other actors of color in key roles — maybe even a Hermione who looks more like the stage version. But as it stands, any hope for good representation may have been negated by not considering the implications.
