In the past seven years alone, Netflix has released a litany of critically acclaimed original shows, from Orange is the New Black to Stranger Things and Narcos. The latter of which starred Luiz Guzman as José Rodríguez Gacha. The Puerto Rico-born actor performed admirably as an infamous Colombian drug lord. So, in theory, it made a lot of sense why the executive producers at Netflix decided to cast him in their highly anticipated remake of The Addams Family titled Wednesday (starring Jenna Ortega). But when video clips and promotional photos of the new show began to circulate on social media this week, fans from various generations of the iconic show that first aired as a cartoon back in 1938 began to voice their displeasure with the fact that Guzmán had been cast as Gomez Addams; a character that is often associated with the late Raul Julia. The deceased actor of Puerto Rican descent portrayed Gomez in The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1994). Raul Julia's adaptation of the part played on his charm, swagger, physical appearance, and ability to woo his wife, Morticia, whenever he damn well pleased, which is an impression that fans of the classic franchise were quick to point out on Twitter--especially when they saw Guzmán dressed up as Gomez standing next to his on-screen wife Morticia (played by Catherine Zeta-Jones).
"She's spot on, he's definitely not. Gomez was every bit as gorgeous as Morticia originally, not looking like he's punching," wrote a fan in response to the new promo photos for Wednesday on Netflix.
"The casting for Gomez Addams is wrong; I saw the movie in the 90s, and he has always been tall, skinny, and handsome.” I hate to burst your fat-phobic bubble, but… POP!" Added another disgruntled fan.
In contrast, not everyone was unhappy with the decision to tab Luiz Guzmán for the role of Gomez Addams. In fact, several fans of The Addams Family were quick to highlight his acumen as an on-screen performer while also pointing out the notion that he actually resembles the original cartoon character (from 1938) far more than any other live-action rendition ever has before.
"How are people complaining about Luis Guzmán as Gomez? He looks like the *actual* OG Charles Addams Gomez!" Wrote a fan who was clearly in favor of the casting choice.
The upcoming series, Wednesday, will debut on Netflix sometime during the fourth quarter of 2022, and it is being produced by renowned film director Tim Burton. So, until The Addams Family spin-off is available for streaming, it looks like Luis Guzmán's supporters will continue to debate amongst traditional fans of The Addams Family cartoon, television series, and movies over who and/or what truly defines the character of Gomez Addams.
Source: Daily Dot
