HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series has finally revealed its new cast—Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout—and fans have plenty to say. As excitement builds for the reboot, reactions to the young actors have been both protective and critical.
Who is Arabella Stanton?
Arabella Stanton, the new face of Hermione Granger, is perhaps the most talked-about casting so far. A relative unknown, Stanton has already become a focal point for Potter fans online. Many worried about the intense scrutiny she may face as one of the franchise’s most iconic characters.
“HBO raceswapped Hermione Granger in the upcoming Harry Potter series, casting Arabella Stanton” tweeted the far-right account AF Post. @WurzelRoot replied with a photo of actor Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, joking, “no way bro is stopping at calling her a mudblood now hes gonna say it.”
And @sempiternels wrote, “i really hope arabella stanton will remember that the people who will be hating on her are thirty year old hags that can’t move on from their obsession with this mid saga.”
According to Fandom.com, Stanton previously performed as a stage actor as Matilda in Matilda the Musical. She was also in the Starlight Express musical.
Who are the Harry and Ron actors?
Dominic McLaughlin will step into the role of Harry Potter, while Alastair Stout will portray Ron Weasley. Both are newcomers with very little on-screen experience. However, showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director and executive producer Mark Mylod said they were chosen after “an extraordinary search” that included tens of thousands of auditions.
McLaughlin is known for his small role in the indie film Grow, while Stout has mostly done school plays.
Fans are concerned and protective of the cast of kids
Fan reactions ranged from celebratory to deeply protective. Many online voiced strong support but also warned others to keep expectations realistic. Still, there is already backlash against the new TV show, which folks think could be harmful to the child actors.
One post read, “If you engage in any hate on some kids for achieving what is likely their dream role you really are an empty individual.” @dilfoy echoed, “reminder that u can boycott this series without bullying children.”
Another person tweeted, “Look, it doesn’t matter how you feel about JK Rowling or this project, if you send hate to these kids you’re a piece of trash.”
@readsbygabby, meanwhile, had a much stronger opinion about the casting. She tweeted, “f*ck jkr, warner brothers, and hbo max. also f*ck the parents of these kids for allowing them to audition because without a doubt, the kids will be bullied and harassed because of the author’s disgusting views that the kids have no responsibility over.”
This sentiment was echoed across X, with @aeltkid writing, “boycott the whole project because jk rowling should never make a profit again.”
Paapa Essiedu as Snape continues to draw backlash
People also highlighted the casting of Stanton as Hermione Granger, along with the series’ Severus Snape actor, Paapa Essiedu. While many praised his acting ability, some questioned casting a Black actor as a character canonically portrayed with deep biases and prejudices. Critics felt it risked sending the wrong message.
“Black incel snape is going to bully a little white boy over his failed swirler fantasies and malfoy about to call a brown girl a filthy mudblood. this gonna be worse than a tyler perry production,” wrote @gelphies on X, racking up over 210K likes.
@Vickster469 posted their thoughts about it, saying, “So let me guess this straight a Black Snape will be bullied by a white person and hanged from a tree. Malfoy will call a brown girl Filthy Mudblood …”
As the series moves forward, fans remain hopeful but cautious. They want to see magic on screen, but above all, they want the young stars protected from the darker sides of fame.
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