Zorro Series Has Found its New Masked Hero

Wilmer Valderrama is poised to play the new Don Diego de la Vega and his masked alter ego Zorro in a reboot of the late 1950s ABC series.

The project, which is in production at Disney Branded Television, is described as a reimagining of the Zorro series, which starred Guy Williams and aired from 1957 to 1959, and generated a quartet of Walt Disney anthology specials.

Zorro Reimagined

Valderrama, who is also known for From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series and the long-running procedural NCIS, said playing Zorro was a dream come true.

While little is known about the plot at this time, Disney Branded Television President Ayo Davis has spoken about the adaptation in her own statement. Davis described the upcoming show as a "compelling period piece" set in Pueblo de Los Angeles, with a "very modern telenovela style" in which the story will be portrayed.

“We’re reimagining this Disney classic as a compelling period piece, set in Pueblo de Los Angeles, but told in a very modern telenovela style — with richly drawn contemporary characters and relationships set against the action, drama, suspense, and humor of the original, iconic Zorro,” Ayo Davis, President of Disney Branded Television, told Variety.

“Wilmer shares our commitment to reflect the interesting and rich diversity of the human experience and we look forward to delivering a culturally relevant and entertaining story with definitional characters that will connect with our viewers for generations to come.”

Valderrama’s Version of Zorro

Other projects have attempted to replicate that popularity by giving a lighthearted take on the dashing swashbuckler over the years. It was claimed in December 2020 that director Robert Rodriguez wants to make a female Zorro picture.

Even more recently, in November, it was announced that Alex Rivera, a MacArthur grantee, will be working on an adaption of the character as a young, undocumented hacker known as 'z0rr0.'

Valderrama expressed his excitement at the prospect of continuing the masked avenger's history while also representing the Latino community, particularly the younger generation who will grow up feeling represented in the same way he did.

The actor most recently voiced Agustin in Disney's Encanto and continues to play NCIS Special Agent Nicholas Torres on CBS' NCIS.

Valderrama is currently producing Mexican Beverly Hills for CBS with Erick Galindo and Aaron Izek, as well as Hipster Death Rattle for the CW with Rafael Agustin and Marvin Lemus, according to Deadline.