Iza Calzado will be portraying the iconic superhero role Darna alongside actress Jane De Leon in the upcoming “Mars Ravelo’s Darna: The TV Series.”
On Thursday, ABS-CBN announced that the actress, who also celebrates her 39th birthday today, will be playing the role of "first Darna" who will be passing her superpowers to her daughter Narda, played by De Leon.
“Finally, I can claim to be part of the Pinoy superhero history! I almost had the chance in the past, but God had other plans. I was not meant to be that Darna but he surely prepared me to play this Darna. Everything always happens in His perfect time,” Calzado said in a statement.
The actress shared that she had been waiting a long time for the announcement that she has been cast for the series, stating her readiness mentally, physically, and emotionally to take on the part.
“At a time of great crisis, there has got to be a hero we can relate to—someone who brings out the best in us and a representation not only of our strong but loving and compassionate core. A hero who has learned to embrace her strengths and weaknesses, knowing fully well that this only makes the light within brighter and allows for others to see and experience their own light,” she continued.
“That’s the Pandemic Darna for me—she will tap and bring out the hero in all of us, despite the odds. Even without the ABS-CBN franchise,” she added.
The role of the iconic Darna role has been through a lot ever since the annoucnement of its new adaptation.
Angel Locsin was first tapped to reprise her role for a film back in 2014, but she had to back out due to a back injury and health reasons in 2015.
ABS-CBN then casted Liza Soberano, who, later on, exited the project after suffering a finger injury in 2019.
The TV series “Darna” will start taping in September after Jane’s exit in “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.”
