Zabryna Guevara
DC Comics, much like Marvel, has always been pretty light on the Latino characters, but Zabryna Guevara may be changing that with her role as “Lt. Essen” in Gotham
This could be interesting. Zabryna Guevara, who’s been working steadily for years, is probably best remembered for her stint on the short-lived medical series 3 lbs. back in ’06, or her arc in the last season of USA’s Burn Notice. Now she’ll be playing a possible love interest for a young James Gordon in Gotham, the Fox pilot that’s creating a big buzz at the moment.
The character she’ll be playing was actually created by the legendary Frank Miller some years ago, in his series called Batman: Year One. But the character was created as a beautiful blonde–and the subject of a torrid affair with then-young-and-very-married James Gordon, soon to be the infamous Commissioner and Batman’s best buddy. That may still happen in this version, which actually stars Ben McKenzie of Southland and The O.C. as a young Gordon. The decision to change Essen’s ethnicity is laudable; neither the DC nor the TV comic book universes in general have mixed many Latinos into their worlds; this will be a welcome change.
Sara Paxton
Another Latina, the blonde and blue-eyed Sara Paxton, is rumored to be part of Gotham as well, once again playing a distinctly non-Latino role. This time it’s Bette Kane, who is destined to become either Batwoman, Batgirl, or Flamebird, depending on your universe.
Pilots, as we say so often, are just promise, and often broken, but Gotham has been getting a great deal of notice, and Fox would love to join in on the superhero frenzy that already includes Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the up-and-coming Arrow, and the soon-to-arrive Flash. So changes are good. We’ll keep an eye on it–and Ms. Guevara–as the pilot season progresses.
