The upcoming luchador superhero series from Disney has a new title and actor J.R. Villarreal as a new co-lead after the previous star was abruptly dropped.
Villareal (Akeela and the Bee) will play Cruz De La Vega, a luchador wrestling coach with the secret superhero identity Black Scorpion in Disney Channel’s new live-action comedy series Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion. The other name in the title refers to character Violet Rodriguez, a teenager chosen by a magical luchador mask to be a superhero, just like her uncle De La Vega. Rodriguez/Ultra Violet is played by Scarlett Estevez (Bunk’d).
De La Vega replaces Blue Demon Jr., a famous Mexican wrestler. While Disney did not explain the change, media outlets have reported the ousted luchador was accused of domestic violence just months after the series had cast him in the superhero role early in the year. The show was originally titled Ultra Violet & Blue Demon. The luchador was also dropped as an executive producer.
According to the newspaper El Heraldo de Mexico, Blue Demon Jr.’s wife Mónica Carrillo publicly accused the wrestler of spousal abuse over two decades of marriage. The publication reported Carrillo filed a complaint with authorities. The woman also said she received death threats after going public with her story on the YouTube show No Chisme Like, the newspaper reported.
The “luchador enmascarado” also got involved in politics after being cast in Ultra Violet & Blue Demon Jr. He was also reportedly running for a mayoral seat in one of Mexico City’s 16 municipalities.
Villarreal is a budding Texas-born actor best known for his role as Javier Mendez in the 2006 family/school drama Akeelah and the Bee, starring alongside KeKe Palmer and Angela Bassett. He was later featured in the Millennium Film action-drama Bobby Z along with Paul Walker and Laurence Fishburne. His credits include indie drama Magic City Memoirs, executive produced by Academy Award-nominated actor Andy Garcia, and Paramount’s comedy Ghost Team One. Other credits include guest appearances on FX’s The Bridge, Fox’s House M.D., Lifetime’s Strong Medicine and CBS’s Ghost Whisperer as well as mainstream series like Cold Case, Without a Trace and CSI: Miami.
Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion also star Marianna Burelli (Paramedicos) as Violet’s mother, Nina; Juan Alfonso (American Princess) as Violet’s father, Juan Carlos; Brandon Rossel (Fast Layne) as Violet’s brother, Santiago; Zelia Ankrum (Les Moore) as Violet’s best friend, Maya Miller-Martinez; and Bryan Blanco (Screwball) as Violet’s classmate, Luis León.
The series also names two new executive producers, Eric Garcia and Leo Chu, who also serve as showrunners. Also executive producing is Joe Nussbaum in addition to previously confirmed Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, a pair that collaborated in Pokémon Detective Pikachu.
Featured Photo: Disney’s ‘Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion’ stars Scarlett Estevez as Violet Rodriguez and J.R. Villarreal as Cruz De La Vega. (Credit: Disney/Brian Roedel)