First Look At Dominic McLaughlin As Harry Potter Sparks Mixed Reactions

X/@GeeksGamersCom

The photo of Dominic McLaughlin in character as Harry Potter in the HBO reboot has so many considerations put into the viewing opinion by netizens. The artists have imagined McLaughlin in his full Hogwarts garb complete with round glasses and a lightning bolt scar. While the casting is admired by some people, others … well, let’s just say they are not being polite about their reactions.

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McLaughlin, now leading the series, takes on a role that Daniel Radcliffe has forever etched into our minds through the original film. The image itself: young wizard in school robes with hair haphazardly tousled across part of his forehead-simply charming and innocent. But the responses? Oh, nothing so simple in this case!

NEW look at Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter. Filming has now begun for the new ‘HARRY POTTER’ series on HBO! pic.twitter.com/FbNKuxvq9H

— Geeks + Gamers (@GeeksGamersCom) July 14, 2025

There was a user who said McLaughlin was closer to the artworks in the book while another user said, “That IS Harry Potter.” But a whole bunch of others were far from feeling the magic.

There were some of the most … creative snarks from other folks who said McLaughlin’s features reminded them of “a 30 year old lesbian” or “a 45 year old lesbian.” Some particularly unpleasant incarnations came from someone who said, “He looks like a butch dyke but maybe that’s intentional.” Charming.

“This can’t even be a start, because at the mention of Snape,” one of the comments was about Snape casting controversy; “There’s nothing that would salvage him anymore,” said another. One mocked the character, calling him “actual black as night bushman living in a mudhut.” The racial undertones in the remarks were… quite… obvious.

Another voiced a displeasure with the very idea of a reboot. “‘Of all the things I could care less about, a Harry Potter reboot is in at least the top 20,” said one profoundly uninterested observer.” An answer: “Why are they remaking instead of doing a sequel or a prequel series? So dumb.”

Amidst the chaos, a few voices of sanity were heard. “Good luck to him. I hope he does really well. I hope his parents keep him away from social media,” said someone with concern. Another merely hoped “that the trans activists leave him, and the other kids, the fuck alone.” Because apparently, that’s a concern now?

From 2001 to 2011, the original films gained tremendous worldwide popularity, grossing over $7.7 billion. The new HBO show intends to stay faithful to J.K. Rowling’s book; one season will cover each book of the seven-part series.

Rowling, lately embroiled in controversies because of statements that she has made about gender identity, will be executive-producing the project, making some fans worry that her involvement would hurt the show’s reception.

As for McLaughlin, added a cultural firestorm even before filming actually began with the young actor. Whether he shall emerges as the next Radcliffe or fall under the pressure remains to be seen. What is for sure is that this certainly won’t be a quiet show for the wizarding world to come back to.

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It is estimated that the series will air on HBO Max during late 2025 or early 2026. Until then, the casting of McLaughlin, the relevance, and many other political undertones surrounding this show have been fodder for social networking sites. When ever have Harry Potter fans ever agreed on anything?