It was just a couple of days ago that we learned that NBC’s Constantine was parting ways with Lucy Griffiths’ Liv character. The plan was to replace her with Mary “Zed” Martin, a DC Comics character who made her first appearance in Hellblazer #4.
Now according to Variety, actress Angélica Celaya (Dallas, Burn Notice) has been cast in the role. In the comics Zed, a woman with psychic abilities, becomes involved in a romantic relationship with Constantine and joins his fight against the forces of darkness. Zed will appear in an early episode of the series, with additional characters from Hellblazer and the occult DC universe to be introduced later.
Daniel Cerone on Griffiths’ exit of the show:
“Pilots are great because they’re a bit of a litmus test, we get to figure out what works and what doesn’t … Liv is a great character, she’s wide-eyed, she’s reactive, [but] we felt a bit hamstrung by her, frankly.”
Liv was a character created specifically for the show, whereas Zed is from the comics.
“Based on the wildly popular comic book series “Hellblazer” from DC Comics, seasoned demon hunter and master of the occult John Constantine (Matt Ryan, “Criminal Minds”) specializes in giving hell… hell. Armed with a ferocious knowledge of the dark arts and his wickedly naughty wit, he fights the good fight — or at least he did. With his soul already damned to hell, he’s decided to leave his do-gooder life behind, but when demons target Liv (Lucy Griffiths, “True Blood”), the daughter of one of Constantine’s oldest friends, he’s reluctantly thrust back into the fray – and he’ll do whatever it takes to save her. Before long, it’s revealed that Liv’s “second sight” — an ability to see the worlds behind our world and predict supernatural occurrences — is a threat to a mysterious new evil that’s rising in the shadows. Now it’s not just Liv who needs protection; the angels are starting to get worried too. So, together, Constantine and Liv must use her power and his skills to travel the country, find the demons that threaten our world and send them back where they belong. After that, who knows… maybe there’s hope for him and his soul after all.”
From Warner Bros. Television, Dexter‘s Daniel Cerone penned the teleplay and crafted the story alongside David Goyer (Batman Begins). Neil Marshall directed the pilot.
The series stars Matt Ryan, Harold Perrineau and Charles Halford.
Constantine airs Fridays at 10 p.m. starting Oct. 24th on NBC.
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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