The official announcement of Salvador as the new ‘Valentina’ makes the upcoming ‘Darna’ series even more exciting.
The news is out. The Killer Bride and Oh My G! star Janella Salvador will play Jane de Leon’s archnemesis, Valentina.
The announcement surprised and thrilled fans on Friday, November 19. With Darna: The TV Series, Salvador marks her return to primetime television after nearly three years of hiatus.
The Kapamilya actress last appeared as Emma on the Maja Salvador-led TV series, The Killer Bride in 2019.
ABS-CBN’s Darna has been in the works since the Network acquired the rights from the Ravelos in 2013.
Originally planned to be the first Ravelo character ABS-CBN would adapt, the project eventually stalled several times.
Angel Locsin got offered a movie project, who already donned the red suit when she was still a Kapuso talent in 2005. Due to a spinal injury, however, Locsin left the project.
Liza Soberano eventually took over the role in 2017, but a finger injury made her back out, too.
In July 2019, as announced, the film would finally push through with Jane de Leon portraying the title role. With the pandemic and ABS-CBN shutdown, however, the project faced yet another obstacle.
In December 2020, the Network confirmed that the project would proceed as a TV series instead. De Leon remains the star of the iconic heroine.
With Jane de Leon’s selection as Darna and the introduction of the other members of the cast, the identity of the new Valentina instantaneously become a sensational topic, with many names being suspected by fans to have bagged the highly-coveted role. The search finally ended with Janella Salvador’s announcement, which had fans more delighted than disappointed.
Salvador will be the fourth Valentina on television—at least, in the last 20 years. Kapuso actress Iwa Moto played the role for the Marian Rivera-starred Darna TV series, produced by GMA Network in 2009. Alessandra de Rossi portrayed the iconic supervillain in 2005, on the first GMA GMA Network TV adaptation of the Ravelo classic, with Angel Locsin playing the title role. Jodi Sta. Maria also played the role in 2006, but only for a Komiks episode.
With Jane de Leon’s selection as Darna and the introduction of the other members of the cast, the identity of the new Valentina instantaneously became a sensational topic, with many names fielded by fans to portray the highly-coveted role.
The search finally ended with Janella Salvador’s announcement as the snake-bedecked head, which had fans more delighted than disappointed.
Salvador will be the fourth Valentina on television—at least, in the last 20 years.
Kapuso Iwa Moto played the role during the Marian Rivera-starred Darna TV series, produced by GMA Network in 2009. Alessandra de Rossi portrayed the iconic supervillain in 2005, on the first GMA Network TV adaptation with Angel Locsin as Darna. Jodi Sta. Maria also assumed it in 2006, but only for a Komiks episode.
Darna: The TV Series has begun taping this week. Also starring Iza Calzado, Joshua Garcia, Zaijian Jaranilla, Rio Locsin, Simon Ibarra, and Kiko Estrada, Darna: The TV Series is helmed by esteemed TV and movie director, Chito S. Roño, is set to debut on the small screen in early 2022.
Do you think Salvador fits the role? What are your thoughts about her and other actresses who played Valentina on television? Make your opinion known in the comment section.
