Disney’s “Zorro” Reboot Finds Its Lead In “That 70s Show” Star Wilmer Valderrama

“Out of the night, when the full moon is bright, comes the horseman known as Zorro!”

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(Images: Wikimedia; Getty/Frederick Brown)

Yet another reboot is taking place from Disney’s corner as the company announces its plan to reboot “Zorro” for its streaming platform next year, with “That 70s Show” star Wilmer Valderrama not only donning the black mask but serving as showrunner.

Valderrama is slated for the role of Don Diego de la Vega and his swashbuckling, horse-riding alter ego. The reimagined series is a period piece set in the era of Spanish California and will have a “modern telenovela style” of presentation.

“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,” said Ayo Davis, President of Disney Branded Television. “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.”

Expressing his excitement for the project, Valderrama said he is pumped to not only continue the legacy of the masked avenger but to also represent the Latino community on and off-screen, as he once felt watching Zorro as a child.

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Antonio Banderas as Zorro (Image: Sony Pictures)

“Growing up, Zorro was the one character that made me, as a Latino, feel like I could be a hero. As an adult and a storyteller, I have a responsibility for the stories that I help bring to life,” he said. “To partner with Gary and Disney to bring Zorro back into the family after 60 years and be a part of the legacy for other children to know they too can be the heroes of their own stories is a dream come true.”

The Zorro character debuted on-screen in the 1920 film “The Mark of Zorro,” with Douglas Fairbanks playing the masked hero. The famous swashbuckler swung into television in 1957 when Disney’s popular “Zorro” series premiered starring Guy Williams. 

The upcoming series comes from Disney Branded Television and is executive-produced by Valderrama, the company’s president and chief creative officer Gary Marsh, and Zorry Productions, Inc.’s John Gertz.

Art Daniella Sison

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