Jenna Ortega, of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, was cast as the traditionally pale, white Wednesday Addams, representing a race-swap of an established character. The central 'outcasts versus normies' conflict at Nevermore Academy is explicitly positioned by creators as an allegory for racism, prejudice, colonialism, and immigrant identity, with added backstory tying an ancestor to Mexico and a secret society protecting outcasts from bigotry.

Diverse supporting cast includes Black actors in prominent roles like Bianca Barclay, which drew accusations of racist stereotyping as bullies from some critics, highlighting the forced diversity lens. These elements influence character arcs and subplots around marginalization and systemic bias, though the core murder mystery and gothic Addams Family premise remain intact without collapsing into pure identity politics. No prominent LGBTQ+ focus, pronoun usage, or overt lecture moments dominate, keeping the ideology significant but not foundational or overwhelming.