“Harry Had No F***ing Black Friends”, Marvel Star Slams ‘Harry Potter’ Casting

A Marvel star has thrown some serious shade at the Harry Potter casting.

Many fans expect that some characters will be portrayed by non-White actors in the reboot, especially following the West End play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016), in which Eswatini-born actress Noma Dumezweni played Hermione Granger, who was played by Emma Watson in the eight Harry Potter films.

These expectations also likely come as a result of other reboots featuring actors of color portraying main characters, such as Peter Pan and Wendy (2023) and The Little Mermaid (2023). Warner Bros. has also said its “making a concerted effort” to ensure the new Harry Potter casting is diverse, which suggests that they feel the films don’t have enough representation. And they aren’t alone, because African-American Hollywood star Anthony Mackie, who plays Sam Wilson/Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has now criticized the franchise.

In an interview with Inverse, while talking about his upcoming film Spark, which follows Claudette Colvin’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, the MCU star said that there were no opportunities for young Black actors in the Harry Potter films, while also criticizing The Lord of the Rings films for having the same problem. Here’s what he said:

“Harry Potter had no f***ing Black friends. Frodo walked across the entire universe and never met a Black dude. I want to see Frodo in the Hood, which if I ever do Saturday Night Live, is going to be a skit I’m going to do.”

While the Harry Potter casting is predominantly White, with JK Rowling on board as the upcoming reboot’s executive producer, who years ago suggested that Hermione could be a person of color in the books (upon which the upcoming series will be a “faithful adaptation”), it’s likely actors of color will portray some of the characters.

It’s also possible that the series will finally embrace Albus Dumbledore’s sexuality, although some efforts were made in the latest Fantastic Beasts film.

As for The Lord of the Rings, while the film series is entirely White, the Amazon Prime series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) does feature a far more diverse cast.