HBO’s casting choice for Severus Snape in theHarry Potterremake may correct a long-standing misconception, but it could also result in an overcompensation. We still have a while to wait beforeHarry Potterseason 1 premieres on HBO Max, but in the meantime, there’s plenty to discuss in the way of casting. So far, a total of nine actors have been confirmed to play major roles in the series. We have our Golden Trio, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Argus Filch, Quirinus Quirrell, Rubeus Hagrid, and, perhaps the most divisive, Severus Snape.
Snape has always been one of the more controversialcharacters in theHarry Potterseries, so it’s no big surprise that his casting is a topic of debate.Therole has officially gone to actor Paapa Essiedu, who not many could liken toHarry Potteractor Alan Rickman. Still, there’s a lot of promise here, since Essiedu can potentially shift some misconceptions that Rickman’s version of the character enforced. However, I’m concerned that theHarry Potterremake is at risk of straying too far in the opposite direction regarding Severus Snape’s morality.
Paapa Essiedu May Make Snape A More Sympathetic Character In The Harry Potter Remake
People Tend To Be Very Critical Of Snape, But Their Perspectives Could Subtly Be Changed
The late Rickman was perfect to play Severus Snape in a variety of ways. First, he fit the book’s description of this character nearly to a tee. Then,the fact that Rickman was known for playing villains meant that it was very easy to register Snape as a thoroughly unlikable character. We could certainly debate preciselywhyRickman was such a good villain, but I don’t think it’d be controversial to say that it has something to do with the actor’s unconventional appearance. The man was attractive, but the harshness of his features and expressions really screamed “evil.”
Of course, Snape himself wasn’t a cut-and-dry evil character inHarry Potter. He was morally ambiguous, butthere has been a long-running debate over whether Snape’s heroism should or should not be celebrated. His love for Lily came across as creepy to some, and many have gone as far as to call Snape and incel. Though thisHarry Pottercharacter isn’tgood, I’ve always been frustrated by fans' determination to make this character so black-and-white. He wasn’t an obsessive stalker, but he wasn’t necessarily a selfless hero either.
I had hoped that theHarry Potterremakecould help emphasize the fact that Snape isn’t one thing or the other. In a sense, I think that Essiedu’s casting could be beneficial in this regard.Because he’s a conventionally attractive actor, audiences are more likely to be sympatheticto Paapa Essiedu’s character. Additionally, Essiedu is close to Snape’s canon age, and this relative youth should also give the character a bit more compassion regarding his complicated decisions. However, I’m worried that the scales will be tipped too far in the wrong direction.
Paapa Essiedu’s Snape Can’t Be TOO Likeable In Harry Potter
Snape’s Ambiguity Is The Entire Point
As much as it has always bugged me that Snape has been so often defined as definitively bad, creepy, and stalkerish, I would bejust as upset if people started to largely claim that this character is wholly sympathetic. Yes, we are supposed to empathise withSnape at the end ofHarry Potter, but this character is and always should be morally ambiguous. He is a bully and a hero, and a big lesson ofHarry Potteris that both these things can be true.
James Potter and Sirius Black are just as morally complicated as Snape. However, they were more attractive and charismatic, so people didn’t immediately see them this way.
Attractiveness can often get in the way of such a lesson. This is even emphasized by the story inHarry Potter, since James Potter and Sirius Black are just as morally complicated as Snape. However, they were more attractive and charismatic, so people didn’t immediately see them this way. Essiedu is sure to do an excellent job bringing Snape to the screen, but his conventional attractiveness could subconsciously sway audiences too far in the wrong direction. Ultimately, it seems that, even with theHarry Potterremake, we are doomed to remain stuck in this same debate.
