I May Destroy You star Pappa Essiedu is being eyed by HBO for the role of Severus Snape in their massive, upcoming Harry Potter series.

As The Hollywood Reporter, who broke the news exclusively, wrote, “Sources say the actor has been offered the part although it is not clear if negotiations have begun in earnest.”

As the outlet noted in their report, Snape would likely be the primary antagonist for the first season of the show.

The late Alan Rickman notably played the character in eight of the original Harry Potter films tracking the character’s journey from villain to antihero.

Essiedu’s casting would be seen as a sign that HBO is fulfilling its commitment to “inclusive, diverse casting” for the series.

The logline for the show reads:

The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling. The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have loved for over twenty-five years. Each season will bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.

The sprawling series will film over many years, casting newcomers between the ages of 9-11 in the lead roles of Harry, Hermoine and Ron to have them age as the show goes on in real-time, potentially filming seasons close together so that they don’t age too much between the seasons.

No actors have officially been cast in the new HBO series, though similar to the reports about Essiedu, Mark Rylance is reported as being close to signing the dotted line to play Albus Dumbledore. Francesca Gardiner is the showrunner.