Diego Luna has been one of the most underrated actors of the past several decades, and his Netflix masterpiece,Narcos: Mexico, is a must-watch television for any fan oftheAndorstar. Appearing in both American and Mexican films and shows throughout his career, Luna has steadily built up one of the best resumes in Hollywood.
His experience inStar WarsviaRogue OneandAndorhelped his popularity immensely, but Diego Luna has always been a force on screen. His role inNarcos: Mexicoin particular is one of the finest examples of his talent, and the perfect continuation of Netflix’sNarcos,another crime drama masterpiece from the streaming giant.
Narcos: Mexico Explores Different Stages Of The Drug War In Mexico
The Vast Timeline Is Essential To The Show’s Structure
Following the creation and rise of the Guadalajara Cartel,Narcos: Mexicoexplores the early days of the Mexican drug war.The series largely spans the entirety of the 1980sfor its first two seasons, originally focusing on a DEA Agent who attempts to gain intel on the cartel while also focusing on various important cartel figures.
While the first two seasons ofNarcos: Mexicochronicle the drug war in the 1980s,the third season mostly takes place in the 90s, focusing on the drug cartels after the fall ofMiguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, the leader of the Guadalajara Cartel. Capturing various stages of the drug war is one of the most fascinating aspects of the show.
The third season ofNarcos: Mexicoeven extends a bit into the early 2000s, showing just how broad of strokes the series painted regarding the various stages of the drug war in Mexico. Much like its predecessor,Narcos: Mexicois a fascinating, dramatized look at some of history’s most notorious kingpins, and is always an engaging watch.
Narcos: Mexico Was Originally Conceived As The Fourth Season Of Narcos
The Series Was A “Reset” For Netflix And Narcos
Prior toNarcos: Mexico, Netflix had told the story of Pablo Escobar inNarcosand had renewed the show for seasons 3 and 4 at the same time in September 2016. After the third season ofNarcoswas released, production started on season 4, but Netflix ended up changing the plan and"reset" the story withNarcos: Mexicoinstead.
While fans ofNarcosmight have been sad to see the show not continue, it ended up being the right choice by Netflix to letNarcos: Mexicobe its own thing with its own cast of characters and stories. With Pablo Escobar’s story essentially done inNarcos, it made sense for the franchise to pivot away at some point.
Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, The Last of Us) portrayed Pablo Escobar inNarcos.
NarcosandNarcos: Mexicoboth feel similar to each other for obvious reasons, but neither is beholden to the other, which allows viewers to watch either series without having to see the other. Small crossovers make the world feel even more lived in though, which means watching both shows is rewarding as well.
Diego Luna Gives One Of His Best Performances In Narcos: Mexico
He Plays The Leader Of The Guadalajara Cartel
Diego Luna has consistently given incredible performances throughout his career – fromY tu mamá tambiéntoAndor– andNarcos: Mexicois easily one of his best performances. In the series, Diego Luna plays the real-life figure, Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo,the leader of the Guadalajara Cartel and founder of the modern Mexican drug trade.
Playing actual people always comes with another layer of difficulty, but Luna perfectly embodies the role of Félix Gallardo, capturing a lot of what made him such a fascinating person to explore. His ambition and ruthlessness are on full display as Luna holds nothing back in his portrayal, making it even more impactful.
Though Luna was one of the most significant pieces ofNarcos: Mexicoduring the first two seasons, he was notably absent for most of season 3. The character was arrested at the end of season 2, which makes sense from a narrative standpoint, but Luna was so great in the role that his absence is definitely felt.
Why Narcos: Mexico Was Such An Important Project For Diego Luna
The Setting Was The Mexico He Grew Up In
Besides just being a great show with a stellar performance from Luna,Narcos: Mexicowas also an important project for him asit hearkens back to his own life growing up in Mexico. In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Diego Luna talked about what he wanted to explore with the second season ofNarcos: Mexico:
Also, to be honest, there was another part of me that was very interested in telling this part of the story because in the Mexico that he lives in the ’80s — the second season ends in the ’80s — that is a Mexico I experienced as a kid. That’s the Mexico I lived in. And I remember that Mexico. It was quite interesting to revisit the earthquake and the election of ’88.
It’s easy to see why Luna would be drawn to that aspect of the show: being able to explore a character like Felix Gallardo while also re-experiencing 1980s Mexico from another perspective adds another layer to his already incredible performance. It’s just another reason whyNarcos: Mexicowas so important to Luna.
While it might have taken a while for Luna to truly get the attention he deserves outside of Mexico, largely due to his monumental role inAndor, he has steadily been one of the most underrated actors of the past several decades. His role in the underrated crime masterpieceNarcos: Mexicoproves how talented he really is.
