"By far the most accurate version": Fans defend Luis Guzmán as upcoming Addams Family series 'Wednesday' sparks debate

On Tuesday, Netflix gave Vanity Fair its first look of Wednesday, an Addams Family series starring Luis Guzmán, Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Isaac Ordonez.

From the first look, it is clear that director Tim Burton has prioritized comic-accurate looks for all the characters. However, the first look also garnered some comparisons of Guzmán’s Gomez Addams in the series to that of the previous iterations.

A legion of tweets expressed their disapproval over Guzmán’s Gomez for his look and mocked the actor. Some even expressed their demands to cast someone else in the role.

Others, however, were of the belief that Guzmán's look was "by far the most accurate version" of the character.

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Netizens divided over Luis Guzmán’s look as Gomez Addams in upcoming Netflix series, Wednesday

Since the first look of the series was released, numerous people have slammed Luis Guzmán’s casting as Gomez Addams. A few individuals wondered how Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Morticia Addams would choose to marry this iteration of Gomez and bear his children.

Meanwhile, others wanted Oscar Isaac to portray this live-action version as well after he voiced the character in The Addams Family animated duology.

At the same time, other tweets simply favored other actors like the late Raul Julia and John Astin. The two had previously portrayed the character in the 1990s The Addams Family movies and 1998’s The New Addams Family sitcom TV series.

However, as mentioned before, another section of the fandom defended Guzmán and pointed out the actor’s comedic chops in addition to his comic-accurate look. The majority of the tweets, following the initial criticism over Guzmán’s inclusion in the project, praised both the actor and the casting choice.

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What is known about Luis Guzmán’s role as Gomez Addams in the Wednesday series?

In August 2021, it was reported that Luis Guzmán was cast as Gomez Addams, the patriarch of the iconic Addams Family.

However, the 68-year-old actor’s role would be limited in the eight-episode series as he is reportedly signed as a ’guest star.' It is possible that the actor may be promoted to be a series regular in future seasons (if any). However, as of right now, the IMDb listing only credits the actor in all eight episodes of the series.

Meanwhile, Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Morticia Addams, aka Gomez’s spouse, is credited as a series regular. It will also star 19-year-old Jenna Ortega as the lead and titular character Wednesday Addams and Isaac Ordonez will portray her brother Pugsley.

It's worth noting that like his predecessor in the role of Gomez Addams, the late-Raul Julia, Luis Guzmán too is of Puerto Rican descent.

As of now, the release date is unknown, but the series is expected to hit Netflix by the end of 2022.