SNL’s “Racist Harry Potter” Skit Nails the Problem With HBO’s Controversial Reboot Casting

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This week’s Saturday Night Live addressed the online reaction to HBO’s new Harry Potter series, specifically the casting of the actor playing Snape. After the trailer dropped, a meme quickly spread online – dubbed “Black Snape” – focusing on Paapa Essiedu in the role. While much of the online conversation was humorous, it unfortunately also included racist comments. SNL’s decision to make a sketch about the meme actually points to a real issue with the series: the original books portray Snape as a largely unlikeable character, which is fueling some of the negative reaction to the recasting.

I was cracking up during that Black Snape sketch on SNL! Colin Jost asked Kam Patterson how his week was going, and he just launched into this amazing bit about Harry Potter being, well, a total racist. He called him ‘the Proud Boy Who Lived’ because apparently, this kid spent the whole year accusing the only Black teacher of being secretly evil! Jost tried to brush it off, saying maybe Harry was worried about the Sorcerer’s Stone being stolen, but Patterson hit back with the real point: why is Black Snape automatically the suspect? They didn’t even consider the guy with the turban! It was so perfectly offensive and that’s why the memes are killing it – it highlights exactly how ridiculous that kind of immediate suspicion is.

The comedy sketch also poked fun at JK Rowling’s tendency to give characters names that highlight their race – specifically, the fact that the most well-known Black wizard in the Harry Potter universe is named “Kingsley Shacklebolt.” It also satirized the continued depiction of slavery through the use of House Elves within the Wizarding World. You can watch the complete sketch here:

Professor Snape comments on the trailer for the new Harry Potter series

— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) April 5, 2026

Harry Potter’s Reboot Requires Carefully Considered Changes To Avoid Issues

Regardless of your opinion on the sketch, and whether Saturday Night Live was right to address the controversy surrounding Paapa Essiedu’s casting, the show needs to acknowledge that the books portray Snape as someone immediately disliked and distrusted by Harry, largely due to Snape’s openly hostile behavior. The original movies softened this aspect, as Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Snape was less harsh than in the books, where Snape is meant to be actively hated. The suggestion that Harry would suspect Snape of stealing the Philosopher’s Stone simply because he is Black is a disingenuous interpretation that disregards the established context of the story.

It’s not about the casting itself, but the larger issue of the “outrage economy” – where criticism quickly spirals out of control. We’ve seen this happen when an actor’s ethnicity becomes the focus of debate instead of their talent, all under the guise of worrying about how things look. This attention then fuels even more discussion. This raises the question of whether reboots, like the new Harry Potter series, will need to change original stories to avoid controversy. For example, the idea that a character like Snape could simply be flawed is now complicated by focusing on his race. While it’s important to be sensitive and consider representation, the real issue is a lack of critical thinking and ignoring the context of the story. HBO and other studios likely need to address these concerns, as public perception matters.

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2026-04-05 13:10