DMZ Cast, Character & Comic Comparison Guide

HBO Max’s ambitious political epic DMZ is backed by a stellar cast of characters. Alongside shows like Lucifer, Preacher, and The Sandman, DMZ is just one of the many DC/Vertigo comic book titles that have been recently adapted for the screen. Like every original DC/Vertigo comic, DMZ tackles mature subject matter that aims to push the boundaries of contemporary fiction. It would be an understatement to say that the series DMZ, which is on the roster of HBO Max’s March 2022 releases, is a challenge to adapt even for its experienced cast.

Adapted from the DC/Vertigo comic book of the same name, DMZ predicts the near-future of America, focused on the stories of people caught in the middle of a civil war. Although the HBO Max series is very loosely based on the stories and characters from the comic book, it succeeds at preserving most of the source material’s core sociopolitical themes. This is despite the fact that DC/Vertigo’s DMZ is 72 issues long, while the HBO series is limited to just four hour-long episodes.

DMZ is certainly an ambitious adaptation to say the least, especially for its cast. Rather than lifting story arcs directly from the comic book, HBO Max’s DMZ presents its own original story. Here are the key players tasked with breathing life into the series adaptation of DC/Vertigo’s DMZ.

Rosario Dawson as Alma:

Better known as Star Wars‘ timeline-breaking Jedi Ahsoka, Rosario Dawson steps into the role of Alma in DMZ. Alma is a doctor who has spent the last 8 years looking for her son Christian, whom she lost when they were escaping from New York during the start of the civil war. Alma has looked everywhere except the DMZ for her son, so she uses her connections to get inside the DMZ. Along the way, Alma discovers that the DMZ is nothing like how it’s perceived by outsiders. Notably, Alma is based on the fiery medic Zee, a protagonist from DC/Vertigo’s DMZ. Today, actor Rosario Dawson is most famous for being in various Star Wars series, but her credits are primarily from films. In fact, Dawson has achieved wide acclaim through her various movies roles, including Mimi Marquez in Rent, Barbara Gordon in The Lego Batman Movie, Claire Temple in Luke Cage, Becky in the Clerks series, and Gail in Sin City.

Benjamin Bratt as Parco Delgado:

Parco Delgado leads a faction known as the Spanish Harlem Kings, which controls its namesake upscale neighborhood in Upper Manhattan. Eager to expand his power, Delgado is running for the position of governor of the DMZ. In the DC/Vertigo comic, Parco Delgado is also a populist militia leader claiming to represent the people. Actor Benjamin Bratt is a silver screen veteran who has appeared in a wide variety of movies and series since the 1980s. Curiously, Bratt’s character in DMZ also has similarities with his character Paco from Blood In Blood Out, a movie that also shares overarching themes with HBO Max’s DMZ. Bratt is also particularly famous for his role as Detective Ray Curtis from Homicide: Life on the Street and the Law & Order series. However, today’s generation is more familiar with Bratt as the voice of Ernesto de la Cruz in Coco.

Freddy Miyares as Skel:

Skel is the DMZ’s local boogeyman. Apart from being Parco Delgado’s stealthy assassin, Skel also commands fear and respect throughout the DMZ as an enforcer for the Spanish Harlem Kings. Skel is known for maintaining a public hitlist on a wall using spray paint, as well as being a prominent mural artist in the DMZ. Although Skel isn’t directly based on anyone from the comic book, he shares a similar disposition to the many artists who stayed in New York after the war erupted in DC/Vertigo’s DMZ. Actor Freddy Miyares also appears in The Code, Elementary, and In Three. However, Miyares is perhaps best known for his roles as Jose Garcia in The L Word: Generation Q as well as Raymond Santana Jr. in When They See Us, one of the best TV shows from 2019.

Hoon Lee as Wilson:

New York’s Chinatown is under the control of a man named Wilson, a crafty and entrepreneurial gang leader who knows Alma from before the war. The character is loosely based on an old and mysterious triad boss of the same name in DC/Vertigo’s DMZ, who controls Chinatown through his many “grandsons” and helps out journalist Matthew Roth throughout the comic book. Actor Hoon Lee is best known for his roles as Toad in See, Wang Chao in Warrior, and as the voices of Shredder and Ancestor in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Turtles. Lee also appears in NCIS: New Orleans, Bosch, and Marvel’s Iron Fist.

Jordan Preston Carter as Odi:

Odi is one of the many children that’s growing up inside the DMZ. Alma helps Odi out in his time of need, and the two end up becoming fast friends. Odi also christens Alma with the name that she later adopts as a citizen of the DMZ. In a nutshell, Odi represents the perspective of children who are caught in the middle of armed conflicts, a crucial element in the original DMZ comic book. Stepping into the role of Odi is Jordan Preston Carter, the youngest actor in the cast. Carter is most well-known for being Quincy Jr. in The Haves and the Have Nots, Bailey in Sons 2 the Grave, and a young JJ in Shaft. Carter also appears in Uncle Joey, the MacGyver reboot, Powers, and Salem’s Lot, which is based on a book by horror writer Stephen King.

DMZ Supporting Cast & Characters

Juani Feliz as Carmen: Apart from being Parco Delgado’s wife, Carmen also helped raise Skel. Carmen and Alma also go way back. Actor Juani Feliz also appears in Harlem, Powers, Blue Bloods, One Dollar, and Shades of Blue.

Nora Dunn as Oona: The entire DMZ‘s supply of fresh and potable water is controlled by a women’s collective lead by the mysterious Oona. The influence that Oona holds becomes a pivotal factor in the show’s narrative. Actor Nora Dunn also appears in The Big Leap, Together Together, Home Economics, and Chicago Med.

Jade Wu as Susie: Although Wilson is in charge of Chinatown, he defers to the old woman named Susie, his primary advisor. Like Wilson, Susie is a well-respected member of the Chinatown outfit. Apart from DMZ, actor Jade Wu is also in Magnum P.I., Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens, Bull, For Love, and Netflix’s sci-fi series Manifest.

DMZ is streaming now on HBO Max.

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