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When we talk about franchises that have stuck with us even after a long, long time, there is no way we wouldn’t talk aboutHarry Potter. Written by JK Rowling, the books were a getaway for anyone wanting to experience the fantasy world of magic. And then came the movies that brought that fantasy world to life and how! However, the legacy ofHarry Potterhas seemed to tarnish over the years.
Author JK Rowling has been in a bad light for years now because of her anti-trans views. And whenHarry Potter and the Cursed Childcast a Black actress to play Hermione Granger, the response wasn’t entirely positive. Therefore, now that HBO Max has surprised all the Potterheads with an announcement about aHarry PotterTV series, some fans are wondering if Hermione will be Black and if that would be the right way to go.
Also Read:Harry Potter Remake to Include J.K. Rowling After Hogwarts Legacy Distanced Itself from Controversial Author
Will Hermione be Black in the NewHarry PotterSeries?
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In December 2015, it was announced that actress Noma Dumezweni will be taking on the role of Hermione Granger inHarry Potter and the Cursed Child.While the response to this was pretty positive, there were some fans who didn’t agree with the casting. This led toJK Rowlingherself speaking up about the matter at hand stating that there was no reason why Hermione couldn’t be black.
And now, fans are wondering whether the HBO Max series will have a black Hermione just so Rowling could stay true to her words. There’s also a discussion about the ways this could backfire at Rowling as well as at the storyline. One reason is the whole story with Hermione and the house elves where she tries to stop their unfair treatment through S.P.E.W. Fans are wondering how that will play out with a black Hermione. But then again, this storyline never made it to the original movies so who knows, maybe the TV series will end up skipping it too!
Here’s what Twitter’s saying about it all:
I just realized that since JK claimed Hermione was always black when she cast a black actress as her in the Cursed Child. She has to cast a black actress for her in the show or she’ll look like an idiot. But all of her fans are huge racists so they’ll turn on her if she does
— Alice (@AerithsSeat)August 10, 2025
I‘m honestly worrying about whoever gets cast in those roles. Especially if JK tries her usual retcon diversity and casts a black Hermione again and triggers the racists in the fandom. These kids will go through hell.
— Uly is very tired 🏳️🌈🇺🇦🍃 (@UlyssesArtist)July 18, 2025
JK Rowling deciding on wether or not to cast a black actress as Hermione, to come across less problematic and make people forget about her transphobic comments.https://t.co/nZR2gzElslpic.twitter.com/kAK6ZFJRtT
— Jay 🪐🇨🇩 (@J_Onaka)July 08, 2025
It also means that since this is claiming to be a ‘faithful adaptation’ of the books, they’d have to include a subplot of a black character being mocked for trying to end slavery.
— aimée 🇮🇪🇵🇸 (@sapphyreblayze)June 22, 2025
JK about to cast a Black Hermione to deflect from her transphobic views, only for that Hermione to be called in-universe slurs and being ridiculed for her anti-slavery campaign…pic.twitter.com/0Q3IDR6mLL
— NaijMizuho (@NaijMizuho)July 13, 2025
Do you think having a black Hermione would be the way to go for the series? Whatever may end up happening, one thing that’s for sure is that not everyone is going to be happy with the upcoming series for more reasons than one
Also Read:Harry Potter Live-Action Series in the Works as WB Desperate to Milk $7.7B Movie Franchise to Beat Disney
JK Rowling’s Thoughts on Black Hermione
After Dumezweni’s casting faced the backlash it did, Rowling stood up for the actress stating that Hermione’s race was never discussed in the books. In an interview with The Guardian, Rowling stated that she always knew“that idiots were going to idiot”and that Dumezweni was chosen for the role because“she was the best actress for the job.”
Rowling added that when the books talked about Hermione’s“white face”it was because the color left her face due to shock and that the character has her blessing to be black.
“I had a bunch of racists telling me that because Hermione ‘turned white’ – that is, lost color from her face after a shock – that she must be a white woman, which I have a great deal of difficulty with. But I decided not to get too agitated about it and simply state quite firmly that Hermione can be a black woman with my absolute blessing and enthusiasm.”
Despite the negativity surrounding Dumezweni’s character, she ended up winning the Laurence Oliver Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She was even nominated for a Tony Award when she reprised her role. As for the series, fans are divided on whether they want a black Hermione or not. What are your thoughts?
HBO Max’sHarry Potterseries is expected to release around 2025 or 2026.
Source:Twitter
Mishkaat Khan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2257
A connoisseur of all things horror, fantasy, and the occasional chick flick, Mishkaat has been penning pieces for FandomWire since 2022. She started off as an intern and has worked her way up to a Senior Writer with over 2000 articles to her name.Outside of entertainment, she has also written well-researched medical content as a freelance writer and has experience in social media management.When not writing, you can find her relaxing with a romance novel and a tall glass of iced coffee in her hand or watching re-runs of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘The Office.’
