Constantine Recasts its Female Lead; Angelica Celaya Set to Play Zed

With filming of NBC’s “Constantine” beginning on Tuesday, July 15th, it was important for the powers-that-be to find a new leading lady (it was announced a few days ago that former lead Lucy Griffiths had left the show). Well, it’s now mission accomplished!

Per THR’s The Live Feed (who also provided the below comparison photo), during the network’s presentation to the Television Critics Association today, executive producer David Goyer revealed that Angelica Celaya has been hired to portray Zed, the new character that is replacing Griffiths’ Liv.

To handle the change, just “one little scene” will be reshot from the pilot, and Liv’s departure will be handled in Episode 1.02.

“She’s someone who can go toe-to-toe with John [Constantine, played by Matt Ryan], and that’s ultimately something we felt like we needed,” said executive producer Daniel Cerone of Zed, who will be introduced early in the season. “We wanted a more dynamic relationship, as opposed to someone who is a teacher [or] mentor and a student. It just didn’t feel as fertile and rich of an area as just a strong a man and a strong woman who are both very different.”

Even so, it sounds like Celaya shouldn’t get too comfortable just yet. “One of the hallmarks of John is his friends drop like flies,” Goyer explained, making a point to praise Griffiths’ job in the pilot. “They almost all die around him. It’s the price of doing business. He is this classic noir character who often ends up alone…”

Zed, who has a dark past and will become Constantine’s right-hand woman, is just the first of several DC characters to appear on “Constantine.” Goyer even has ambitions of using “Constantine” to potentially launch a franchise, but no timeline has been established thus far.

Horror fans can take heart that Goyer and Cerone mentioned “Constantine” is indeed “a horror show” that will be in line with the comic books with a balance of comedic (in part due to John’s “smartass” humor) and fun elements.

As for how much “Constantine” may be adapted for modern times, in the comics he’s a heavy smoker. Goyer said the show touches on but won’t be focusing on that aspect of the character: “He is a smoker in the show; we’re not shying away from it, but we’re not glorifying it.” Another question was raised about Constantine’s bisexual nature — a strong recurring theme in the comics — with the producers saying there are “no immediate plans” to address that.

“Constantine” is heading our way Friday, October 24th, airing at 10PM, following the Season 4 premiere of “Grimm” at 9PM.

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