Why is there so much secrecy surrounding the casting of Fester Addams in Wednesday? That remains to be seen, though many fans have some of their own guesses. As it stands, we know Jenna Ortega will be leading the Addams Family reboot series that debuts on Netflix in November. It has also been revealed that other Addamses featured in the series include Luis Guzman as Gomez, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, and Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley.

And yet, curiously, no announcements have been made when it comes to Uncle Fester. Because Fester has always been such an important part of the family throughout the different incarnations of The Addams Family, his presence has been noticed by many fans who's watched all of the teasers and trailers. Series co-creator Alfred Gough previously told Vanity Fair that the lack of Fester in the marketing had been intentional, but offered no details as to why, only telling fans to "watch the show."

Now, Tim Burton himself, who directs many episodes of Wednesday, has commented on the Fester situation, though he's not offering any new information. In the latest issue of Empire (per CBR), Burton would only confirm that Fester will definitely "show up" in Wednesday at some point. He also provided no information whatsoever about the casting of Fester, continuing to tease the arrival of the series for fans to get the answer to the question of his absence.

Related: It's Wednesday vs. Thing in New Sneak Peek of Netflix's Addams Family Reboot Series

Who Will Play Fester in Wednesday?

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Netflix/Columbia Pictures

It remains unclear who will be playing Uncle Fester in Wednesday, and if there are no leaks or announcements made, fans may have to wait until November to see who it will be. With that said, it's interesting that the Wednesday team will not even state who it is that's playing Fester. We know the character will be in the series, so even if he's not in the trailers, what would be the harm in divulging the actor who will portray him?

Naturally, this has led to widespread rumors and speculation. Many fans are guessing that Johnny Depp could have secretly filmed an appearance as Fester, given his longtime relationship with Burton. The rumor is plausible in the sense that it would explain the extreme secrecy over that one particular character's casting while the other family members' actors have been revealed. A Depp cameo that was not advertised could also provide a major surprise for fans of the actor when they watch Wednesday for the first time.

Wednesday filmed in Romania from September 2021 through March 2022. Because his defamation trial with Amber Heard did not begin until April 11, it would not have interfered with Depp's potential involvement in the filming of Wednesday. That also lends credence to the rumor that he could be involved with the series. However, perhaps the team behind the series is playing coy for other reasons and simply letting the fans have their fun with the speculation. It's worth noting that while Depp has seemingly been vindicated by the trial, Netflix execs may have seen his involvement as a bigger risk while Wednesday was actively filming, possibly overruling Burton's desire to bring Depp in.

Wednesday starts streaming on Netflix on Nov. 23, 2022.