The problem with resurrecting a character who's closely identified with a specific actor is that if the moviemaker casts someone who's style is too different from the role's former portrayer he gets accused of blasphemy, but if he casts someone too similar he gets accused of pandering and lack of imagination. Any of the Monty Python gang would have been closer to Peter Sellers' Clouseau than Steve Martin, but it would have invited criticism from a different quarter.

I question why they'd choose to resurrect Clouseau in the first place. Why not have a new Inspector who is Clouseau's successor? Then they'd be able to duck the comparisons with Sellers entirely.