Interview with Marko Zaror: On Diablo, Villains, and the Future of Fist of the Condor

Jeff: Marko! The last time we spoke was for Fist of the Condor.
Marko Zaror: Oh yeah, man. That feels like forever ago.

Jeff: A lot’s happened since then. Is there any word on a sequel?
Marko: We’re working on it. We have some ideas already and a treatment. I’m very excited about it.

Jeff: After Fist of the Condor, it’s been a wild ride: John Wick 4, The Killer Games, Fight or Flight, Diablo, Affinity, and The King of the Ring—or Dancing in the Ring, as it’s titled in English.
Marko: Yeah, man. It’s been crazy. I’m very happy, very excited. Now with Diablo, I really pushed it to the limit. This could be one of my most extreme characters ever. I’m looking forward to seeing how people react.

Jeff: In my review, I said this felt like your audition for The Terminator. You’re just this relentless, calculated killer.
Marko: (laughs) Thank you! Imagine that, man. Appreciate it.

Jeff: I was speaking to Scott Adkins yesterday—he said Diablo started while you were both on John Wick 4. Was it always the plan for you to play the villain?
Marko: Yeah. We’d been talking about doing something together for a while. I told Scott, “You gotta come make a movie with my team and Ernesto,” who’s directed all my films. We’re good friends, so we just started throwing ideas around, co-creating. Then Matt wrote the script, and it all came together. This one’s very special for me.

Jeff: What’s cool is usually in a movie like Diablo, Scott’s the hero and you’re the villain—but your character is layered. I honestly want a prequel about him—before he lost his hand.
Marko: That would be cool, man. Let’s support this one, and if it does well, who knows? I’m just happy people are enjoying the character and the movie.

Jeff: Are you like Scott when it comes to preparing for action films? Always ready, just trying to avoid injury?
Marko: (laughs) Yeah, kind of. But for Diablo, I was also the action designer. I brought my stunt team from Chile, and we worked with the Colombian team, who were great but didn’t have much experience with this kind of martial arts choreography. So we had to adapt and train. We did all the previs, showed it to Scott and the producers, and everyone was happy. I really believe the final product is world-class in terms of action and choreography.

Jeff: You were in John Wick 4 and got to fight Keanu. As a seasoned martial artist, did you have input on the fight choreography?
Marko: Yeah, that always happens. The stunt team lays out the structure, but once you’re in character, you realize certain moves don’t fit. So you start adjusting things. It’s always a co-creation between the actor and the fight team. You want to bring your uniqueness to it.

Jeff: Let’s jump back to Diablo before we wrap. Your character is so dark and intense. Was it hard channeling someone so psychotic?
Marko: It was a big challenge. I’m a physical guy, so I started with how the character moves. Ernesto and I went on a long walk in Bogotá just talking, and suddenly I started walking a certain way—and I realized, “That’s him.” It’s instinctual. It’s like the character exists somewhere and I just downloaded it through movement. It was a really unique process.

Jeff: Well, Diablo is brilliant. It’s pure old-school action—good versus evil—but with stunning choreography. You’re like the Terminator, but with better fight scenes. A must-watch movie this weekend.
Marko: Thank you, man. That means a lot. I hope we can keep telling this story.

Jeff: Before I go, I’ve gotta ask—last time we spoke, you mentioned working on a Fist of the Condor comic. How’s that coming along?
Marko: Yeah, we still want to expand that world. It’s just been hard finding the time with everything going on. But we have the ideas. We know where the story goes next. I love that project so much, and I hope we can return to it soon. Fingers crossed.

Jeff: Well, keep kicking ass. I’m loving everything you’re putting out—and add Redeemer 2 to the list while you’re at it!
Marko: (laughs) Will do, man. Thank you for the support. Really appreciate it.