‘Sons of Anarchy’ spin-off ‘Mayans MC’ lands JD Pardo as EZ Reyes

Over the past week, there’s been a cornucopia of casting news for “Sons of Anarchy” and its upcoming spin-off “Mayans MC.” Now, we know that JD Pardo plays EZ Reyes, the series’ lead and the primary guy to watch. (Deadline reported the news first early Thursday.)

Reyes is going to be a prospect in the motorcycle club, a tortured man looking for a way to avenge the cartels. At the same time, he’ll also try to do right by his family and the people he loves. He’s a part of a noteworthy family near the California-Mexico border; Edward James Olmos will play family patriarch Felipe.

This casting further cements that the series is closer to fruition, and Reyes seems like a worthy choice. Courtesy of “Revolution” and “East Los High,” there’s a resume there. However, at the same time he’s not incredibly noteworthy on a distracting level. This is something that show creator Kurt Sutter used both with Charlie Hunnam in “Sons” (at the time) and Lee James in “The Bastard Executioner.” (Sutter is executive-producing “Mayans MC” alongside Elgin James, and will direct the pilot.)

Odds are, you can anticipate some further casting announcements soon.

Waiting for further details

The pilot for “Mayans MC” will film in the months ahead; if ordered to series, it is possible it could premiere later this year on FX. “Sons of Anarchy” famous aired during the fall, and this would be a suitable spot for this show, as well. The flagship show proved itself as a ratings dynamo year in and year out. Feasibly, it would have went on far longer than it did, but sometimes you don’t want to stretch things out further than you really need to.

Hopefully, further updates will come out about “Mayans” and its production in the months to come. Based on the name and the pedigree, it is fair to expect that this is going to be one of the more successful shows in the FX docket.

What is your take on this casting? Share below!