Foxthe legendary masked hero has returned to screens around the world. Amazon Prime Video has already released its new series about the iconic swordsman. Project starring Miguel Bernardeu together with artists of the level Luis Tosar, Rodolfo Sancho or Paco Tus. A version with which the streaming platform will try to modernize the character and introduce him to new generations. Because in fact there were a lot of Zorros, although they are all the same in the mask. And this is nothing less than the last classical hero, or perhaps the first modern hero.
Stories about mythological heroes are what made up the entire culture from ancient civilizations to the present day. Legends worthy of admiration, capable of the greatest deeds for the greater good. In the 20th century, the concept of a hero was completely redefined with the advent of superheroes starting in the 1930s. the foundation on which more and more popular vigilantes would be built decades later.
The Curse of Capistrano
The year was 1919, when an American journalist and writer Johnston McCulley turned to his new adventure novel. The author called it The Curse of Capistrano and published it in serial format in five editions! It is in the magazine. All-Historical Weekly. The book takes place in California in the first half of the 19th century, the so-called Mexican era. Once upon a time there lived an aristocrat from New Spain, Diego Vega. However, it was his pseudonym that turned him into a myth: Mr Fox.
Diego was a man very sensitive to the injustices of the elite against his people. Tired of excessive harassment from outside Captain Ramon And Sergeant Gonzalez, decides to take action. With his deaf servant Bernard, Fox He confronts them to make the missions, towns, and ranches in the area a little less miserable. Five years after the serial publication of the story, in 1924, The Curse of Capistrano was reissued as one volume and renamed Mark of Zorro. The reason was the movie.
Origin of Zorro
In 1920, just a few months after the adventures Diego Vega see the light, outstanding actor Douglas Fairbanks brought to the big screen the first film adaptation, which he himself wrote together with Eugene Miller, novel. A milestone that will mark a before and after in the character’s history. Director Fred Niblo, Mark of Zorro It became one of the most popular films of its time and, in those early decades of the seventh art, defined what action and adventure cinema would be like from then on.
The film featured Zorro’s iconic clothing for the first time. Black suit and cape, mask and Cordovan hat. Possessing incredible sword skills, the protagonist marked all his enemies with the letter Z, his distinctive symbol. At the end of the film, Diego Vega managed to defeat the corrupt Governor Alvarado (Noah Beery), and also win the hand of his beloved Lolita Pulido (Margarita De La Motte). After the success of the film, a sequel was released in 1925: Don Q, son of Zorro.
Zorro, the eternal phenomenon
Having established himself as a popular character, Zorro starred in many other adventures in the following years. Johnston McCulley He embraced the new characteristics, especially clothing, that the film provided, and developed dozens more comics in response to requests from readers. In them, he also made sure that the hero’s identity remained a mystery, since in the original novel it was revealed at the end. Finally, the author died in 1958, and a year later it was published posthumously. Zorro maskhis last essay was about a character whose name became Diego de la Vega.
Death McCully This happened at the peak of Zorro’s popularity. The character was the main character of the cult television series produced by the company Disney With Guy Williams give life to a hero. Ten years earlier, in 1940, a new adaptation was released Mark of Zorro arrived in theaters starring Tyrone Power. Once again the film was a success and became a classic.
In total, Zorro starred in more than 40 films, several TV series, plays, video games, works of other writers, comics… One of the most popular film adaptations of recent times is Zorro mask1998 film. WITH Anthony Hopkins as veteran Diego de la Vega, the witness falls on Alejandro Murrieta, to whom he gives life Antonio Banderaswhich he will repeat in the not so popular sequel.
Legacy of Zorro
The story of a masked man with a dual personality and a conviction to perform heroic deeds for the common people would inspire superhero comic book artists in the years to come. Foxwho did not have superpowers, was directly the basis for the creation of such mythical characters as Batman. So much so that in several versions the night in which the parents Bruce Waynethe movie you’re watching in the theater right before, Mark of Zorro.
Erected as the last classical hero or the first modern hero, influence Fox is still present today. That’s why, Prime Video without hesitation, he made every effort to create a large-scale production to reinvent it. Reviews so far have been mixed, although they generally praise the work and charisma Bernardo like the legendary masked vigilante.
Source: Hiper Textual
