Telenovela Star Angelica Celaya Cast as Zed on Constantine

Constantinehas found its leading lady!

Telenovela star Angélica Celaya has joined the cast as comic book character Zed, executive producers David Goyer and Daniel Cerone announced at the Television Critics Association's fall previews on Sunday.

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Based on the popular comic book series Hellblazer, Constantine stars Matt Ryan (Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior) as the titular demon hunter and master of the occult who struggles with his faith as he is haunted by the sins of his past.

Originally, True BloodalumLucy Griffiths was tapped to star opposite Ryan as Liv, who teams up with Constantine after being marked for death by a demon. "Liv is a great character. She's very wide-eyed, she's very reactive," Cerone said. "She's not a character from the comics and we felt a bit hamstrung by her."

Griffiths will still appear in the pilot, which will not be re-shot. Instead, they will add a scene that will facilitate her exit and the introduction of Zelaya's Zed, a character from the comic books. "She's a psychic," Cerone says. "She's someone who already has powers when she meets John. She has a very dark past with many secrets. She's just someone who can go toe-to-toe with John... Constantine is a con man. He's a spiritual drifter. He's a bulls--- artist. Zed is a character who is intuitive and she can detect bulls---. She's the perfect person to call him on his stuff."

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For those who don't read the comics, some viewers may recognize the story from the 2005 film, starring Keanu Reeves in the titular role. However, the producers say this will be a new iteration of Constantine's story. "It helps that there's a recognition factor for the character," Goyer says. "He's one of the most beloved characters in the comic books and a fantastic character."  

Still, even those who have never heard of Constantine's plight can relate to the story because he's dealing with an inner struggle of saving others to save himself. "Should we be good because there is an internal reward or should we be good to be good?" Goyer says. "And who judges that? That quandary is definitely something we'll be dealing with."

Constantine will premiere Friday, Oct. 24 at 10/9c on NBC.