Even Saturday Night Live is poking fun at what the internet has dubbed “Black Snape.” During a recent Weekend Update segment, comedian Kam Patterson appeared as the character set to be played by Paapa Essiedu in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series. The sketch delivered a rapid-fire series of jabs at one of the most talked-about topics in pop culture right now.
Professor Snape comments on the trailer for the new Harry Potter series pic.twitter.com/wiR4YV4sWA
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) April 5, 2026
Prof. Snape on Weekend Update
After Weekend Update host Colin Jost set the stage—mentioning the release of the new Harry Potter trailer and the casting of a black actor—he introduced Patterson’s Snape. “Good evening, Mr. Jost,” Snape began with exaggerated formality. He quickly adjusted his tone, saying, “Nah, I’m playing. I don’t talk like that, bro. It’s called code-switching. Codio switchio!“
The rest of the “interview” continued in a similar vein. Snape accused the new kid at Hogwarts, Harry Potter—”or, the Proud Boy Who Lived”—of telling everyone that the only black teacher was evil. Jost suggested that perhaps Harry was simply worried about someone trying to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone. “So somebody stole something, and the number one suspect is Black Snape?” Patterson fired back in character.
Kam Patterson as Snape and Colin Jost on Weekend Update – Saturday Night Live, YouTube
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Snape acknowledged that mischaracterization is nothing new. “It happens all the time. I showed up at Hogwarts, and on the first day, they looked at me and said, ‘You’re the professor of the Dark Arts.’ I never even studied that! I majored in African Muggle Studies.”
The sketch continued, highlighting how this single casting change could shift the way the entire story is seen. Yet, rather than calling out HBO, SNL used the opportunity to take a shot at the author. “I’m starting to think J.K. Rowling might be problematic,” Jost quipped.
Still, it was a single line in a segment that was almost entirely focused on what many fans see the series most glaring issue.
Why the Sketch Resonates with Fans
HBO’s announcement that it would race-swap the iconic character was met with immediate backlash online. The first look at Snape in the Harry Potter trailer did little to ease the minds of many. Regardless of whether or not Paapa Essiedu can capture the personality and manners of Snape, making him black presents certain narrative problems for those familiar with his character’s story.
Paapa Essiedu as Snape – HBO Max
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What makes the Black Snape sketch especially notable is that SNL leaned into the humor of the situation rather than blaming fans for their concerns.
Cultural Impact Beyond the Joke
Few, if any, of the Black Snape jokes in the SNL sketch were particularly original. Yet the fact that the segment made it to air in the way it did points to a larger truth: Harry Potter can still generate cultural moments in ways few franchises today can. While some have argued that SNL has flirted with irrelevance in recent years, the writers clearly saw an opportunity—and they took it.
A screenshot of Professor Snape in HBO’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone trailer – YouTube @hbomax
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For Harry Potter fans, a legacy voice like SNL joining in the mockery of Black Snape may give their objections a sense of legitimacy. At the same time, it tells HBO that even high-profile casting choices—no matter how virtue they signal—will be dissected and debated in the broader cultural conversation.
What did you think of the Black Snape sketch? Let us know in the comments!
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Black Snape… Groan.
This was more of a dunk on Rowling than the stupid casting. The joke was “she was always racist”. The rest of the jokes were predicated in believing in black victimhood.
Yeah, SNL is where I go to for biting social commentary that doesn’t reinforce typical liberal causes. They may as well have ripped this script straight from the copious amount of material that has been accumulating FOR A YEAR since the announcement.
SNL is playing catch up and trying (failing) to appear “edgy” and ahead of the curve now that normies have seen the trailer and are waking up saying “Black Snape? Whatchoo talkin about, Willis?”