“Can’t wait to never watch this” — fans react as Paapa Essiedu is confirmed as Snape in HBO’s Harry Potter series

Hold onto your horses, folks, because there's a new Severus Snape in town! HBO has officially cast Paapa Essiedu as Snape, and he will be stepping into the black robes of the snarky professor in the upcoming Harry Potter TV reboot. The news has taken the internet by storm as fans lined up on social media to give their two cents on the creative decision.

Hilarious fan reactions to Paapa Essiedu getting cast as Snape in the Harry Potter reboot

In an effort to breathe new life into the beloved Harry Potter franchise, HBO has decided to repackage it into a TV series that will chronicle the adventures of Harry Potter and friends in a brand-new episodic format! The casting for some of the characters has already been announced, but the most striking of them was Snape.

The casting has stirred a lot of controversy on social media, as many fans came out to voice their displeasure with the race swap. Of course, following in Alan Rickman's footsteps is no easy feat, but having a quality actor like Paapa Essiedu as Snape, you would think fans would have been more excited.

But netizens had some other ideas. The announcement sparked a wave of hilarity on social media as netizens took to X to troll the makers of the show:

"Can’t wait to never watch this", trolled one fan (via X / @DeadMattBounce)

"Can’t they come up with something new instead of trying to recreate the original?", mocked another (via X / @Profile_Texan__)

Within minutes of the announcement, the internet exploded with memes comparing Paapa Essiedu's previous roles to his new gig. While some fans were ecstatic at the thought of Essiedu taking on such an iconic role, others showed no restraint in trolling HBO and Essiedu.

In the books, Snape has a storied rivalry with Harry's father, James. He always came on the receiving end of one of James' pranks, and that was even one instance in which he was hung upside down from a tree by James. But when Paapa Essiedu was cast, one fan was so distraught that he actually considered cheering for James - the villain:

"I'm rooting for James Potter"

When the news dropped, social media was divided into predictable factions: the Alan Rickman loyalists who voiced their opinions against the casting, and the Paapa stans, who welcomed the decision. Fans argued that Paapa was too glam for the role and even suggested the use of prosthetics to make Essiedu look more like the book description.

As hours went by, the news finally set in for the fans, who in their desperation to cope, started negotiating terms for their acceptance:

"Listen, they better have Paapa Essiedu with wet a** jerry curls and looking greasy af like James Brown after a set… ALL THE TIME", quipped one fan (via X / @msayibu1)

Another enthusiastic fan chimed in:

"Snape about to deliver potions class like it’s a Shakespeare monologue"

For weeks, rumors had been swirling around possible casting decisions, and somehow, even Cillian Murphy's name ended up in the mix! The fans expressed displeasure at the announcement as they had been building their hopes up to watch someone else as Snape altogether:

"Adam Driver is literally there", exclaimed one fan (via X / @RealKennyNapier)

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No major casting announcement is complete without backlash from the fans, and Harry Potter delivered it aplenty. Paapa Essiedu getting cast as Snape is going to be a pressure cooker situation for him, but he might be charming and versatile enough to make the audience fall in love with him. Which is ironically the one thing the fans don't want!? Perfect casting.

Only time will tell if the decision will prove to be a masterstroke or a dumpster fire, but the memes will keep rolling till then!

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