Casting adheres closely to the source material, with Pierre Niney as the white French sailor Edmond Dantès, Anaïs Demoustier as Mercedes, and Anamaria Vartolomei bringing ethnic authenticity to Haydée, the enslaved Greek princess from Janina, via her Romanian heritage and language use, which aligns organically with the novel's lore rather than forced diversity. No race-swapping, gender-swapping, or sexuality alterations to established characters are present, and themes center on traditional adventure, justice, and personal vengeance, eschewing systemic oppression narratives, identity politics, or critiques of patriarchy/masculinity.

Reception is overwhelmingly positive from critics and audiences, praising its spectacle and entertainment value, with criticisms limited to pacing, plot compression, or character development (e.g., Haydée's arc), but zero notable backlash over 'woke' elements, DEI, or political messaging. Creators show no activist intent in interviews, emphasizing epic storytelling over social commentary. This pure entertainment upholds classic narrative traditions delightfully free from modern ideological intrusions.