While it has a global fanbase that spans age, gender, race, religion and language, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” isn’t exactly the most diverse and inclusive universe. Yes, there are Black characters in the books, but they didn’t get much screen time in the movies.

It appears that may change with the upcoming “Harry Potter” TV series. According to Variety, “Gangs of London” and “Black Mirror” actor Paapa Essiedu is reportedly in talks to take on the popular role of Professor Severus Snape.

Snape is a deeply complicated character who seems to have complex feelings for Harry. He’s one of the most popular characters in the universe, with fans constantly debating whether he’s a hero or a villain.

When HBO announced it was doing a new “Harry Potter” series that would incorporate more details from the books, other than Harry, Ron and Hermione, this was destined to be the most controversial casting. In the films, the Alan Rickman delivered an unforgettable performance as Snape. Honestly, no actor can truly follow in his footsteps.

In response to someone acknowledging how difficult it will be to follow Rickman’s iconic role, one fan wrote, “Best way to look at it is accept it’ll be different. If the baseline is they won’t be as good as the guy we hold in extremely high regard for the role then it’s an impossible task to live up to but it shouldn’t disqualify the role ever appearing again for other actors.”

Of course, that wasn’t a lot of fans’ major issue with Essiedu’s possible casting. Many people weren’t happy about a Black actor taking on a role that is described in the book as “a thin man with sallow skin, a large, hooked nose, and yellow, uneven teeth… shoulder-length, greasy black hair.”

Before we get to the intense social media reactions from the Wizarding World, we need to take a moment to discuss how good Essiedu will actually be in this role. The British actor excels at nuanced portrayals of complex, layered characters. When you don’t know how you’re supposed to feel about someone, he adds an emotional depth that instantly captivates audiences. He would be a fantastic Snape.

However, on social media, some fans just couldn’t get past his race and see the possibilities for the character.

One user is done with all changes to their favorite material, writing, “I don’t do race swaps. No f***ing thanks. I’m f***ing tired of it.”

Since we can’t possibly be good enough to get major opportunities, the DEI haters had to make themselves known with someone posting, “Same old same old. Everyone, even the ones who will argue with you, KNOWS that he won’t be chosen for his ability to embody the character of Snape. If he’s chosen, it’s because he’s black and they’re frightened to death of not doing so. That’s it. It’s really that simple. Any denial of that fact is willful stupidity.”

Another person noted how Snape’s race doesn’t play a role in the story, so this shouldn’t be an issue, writing on X, “My thoughts are: race/color has no bearing in the story in any way. He’s a teacher and at no point in the books he being white was important. So, you’re just being racists.”

One fan pointed out the obvious on Blue Sky, writing, “Snape is not real lol stop pretending it needs to be accurate when that man is a fictional character.”

Someone replied with their opinion that Snape’s original description should be considered, posting, “He’s a fictional character that has been widely described in books and was casted in the movie series just fine. Just because it’s 2024 doesn’t mean everything has to be “woke” and change up characteristics.” Another user showed sympathy for the ridiculous level of online attacks the actor will deal with, writing, “Love Paapa Essiedu but man the harassment this man is about to receive is no where near worth the pay to do a Harry Potter reboot series.”

Other than not being able to handle the idea of a Black Snape, there is no reason for Essiedu to not get serious consideration for this role. And by the way, if you’re one of these “Harry Potter” fans saying you won’t watch if this happens, stop wasting our time. That’s not how nerds work. We cannot help ourselves and will absolutely watch all our favorites, no matter how much we may not want to.