‘That 70’s Show’ Actor To Produce And Portray Zorro In New Disney TV Series

Wilmer Valderrama may be best known to most for his role on “That 70’s Show” and “Minority Report.” The 41-year-old actor will be back on the TV screen soon with reports that he will be producing and taking on the lead role in the iconic fictional character “Zorro.”

Valderrama will executive produce and take on the lead role of portraying Don Diego de la Vega and his alter ego, Zorro. For those who may not know, this is the same character created by writer Johnston McCulley in 1919. The series ran from 1957 to 1959 where Guy Williams took on the lead role.

From there, most may have seen it on the widescreen that had Antonio Banderas in the lead role. This came out in 1998, roughly about the same time that Catherine Zeta-Jones also started gaining notice.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney plans to use the same elements behind the character’s mythology. However, Valderrama will not be the only one producing the show. John Gertz will also serve as an executive producer for Zorro productions, the group that owns the rights to the pulp-fiction character.

"Growing up, Zorro was the one character that made me, as a Latino, feel like I could be a hero," Valderrama said in a statement. "As an adult and a storyteller, I have a responsibility in the stories that I help bring to life. 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."

Further details on “Zorro” remain limited for now. It has yet to be known which network “Zorro” will be on although it is likely to end up showing on either ABC or Disney+.

"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," Ayo Davis, who was promoted to replace Marsh as president of Disney Branded Television, said.