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The doors to Lucha Underground’s new Temple are soon to open as season four filming begins. Co-executive producer Chris DeJoseph recently stopped by The Wrestling Guy Podcast for a ninety minute question and answer session during Lucha Underground week.
In regard to spoilers, there were a couple of vague, minor details, but there was nothing revealed to ruin any surprises.
Obviously, DeJoseph was guarded about what he could reveal, however, there were enough morsels to whet the appetite as well as a snappy intro tune. Give the whole thing a listen here; these are some highlights and our takeaways of the conversation:
Nuts and bolts news
DeJoseph discussed the new Temple’s vibe and layout. There are a host of individual backstage scene sections, such as the Rabbit Tribe lair!?! I hope there is a set piece to show us how Drago travels using the bathroom pipes.
They plan to film the entire season in one month’s time on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The number of episodes will be in the twenties, like season two. DeJoseph is unsure of the season four premiere date on television. I think I prefer the shorter season, as opposed to a forty episodes period. It should help keep the pacing on point. At times, it felt like season three was coasting on tournaments and unique opportunity battles.
The themes of the season will be rebirth and sacrifice. There are so many ways to interpret that statement, especially the sacrifice part. It could be in reference to the Gauntlet, Catrina’s family powers, or, of course, literal sacrifices to please the gods.
DeJoseph said that a lot has happened in the characters’ lives since the end of season three. No mention of more comic books to fill gaps, however, I sure hope we get a few. That was a neat touch.
Who’s in? Who’s out?
Between injuries, contract situations, and severed relationships with AAA, there has been a cloud over which luchadores will be returning and concern over which ones may not. Only a handful of names were brought up during the Q&A.
Rest assured that Fenix and Lucha Underground champion Pentagon DARK will be back, despite no longer working for AAA. There are plans for Mascarita Sagrada, but none for Konnan to break out of his coffin.
On the topic of wrestlers contributing with their own ideas, expect Ricky Mundo’s story to blossom from an idea of his own. It will be a callback to something earlier in the series. My guess is that it will involve those creepy doll (?) photos Dario Cueto gifted him.
DeJoseph confirmed new wrestlers will show up; specifically saying at least five in the first weekend of taping. Not necessarily referring to those five, he later mentioned some new blood would come from AAA and free agents. Alas, the hottest free agent in the world, Chris Jericho, is a no go. That was sort of a joke question, but can you imagine how awesome it would be if Jericho broke down the Temple’s walls?
The most gossiped about talent will most likely be the status of Sexy Star. She has been a persona non grata in the eyes of many wrestling fans after an injury incident with Rosemary. DeJoseph decided to give no real answer so as to leave the suspenseful cloud of controversy. He doesn’t like dropping stories or pretending they don’t exist, so Sexy Star’s status will be mentioned one way or another during season four. Based on his tone, I get the feeling she will back to Lucha Underground.
Fun tidbits
DeJoseph discussed early character casting. Marty Martinez could have been Mil Muertes. Taya was originally going to play the Kobra Moon character until they discovered the current Kobra Moon (Thunder Rosa). Taya was then paired with Johnny Mundo. That decision benefited everyone involved. The fans have had the treat of enjoying Taya’s chemistry with Johnny Mundo, and the two wrestlers are now engaged to each other in real life. Who knows how the world would be today if Taya was the serpent queen instead.
The majority of the information passed in the first third of the podcast, but the whole caboodle is worth the listen for Lucha Underground fans to get more meat of the details. It also touches on booking philosophies and a Dario’s Dial of Doom story.
If you are yearning for more Lucha Underground podcasts, referee Marty Elias was another recent guest on The Wrestling Guy Podcast for a Q&A. If you are in the Huntington Park area in California, Kobra Moon will be at The Wrestling Guy Store on February 21 (7pm-9pm PT) and Marty Martinez will be present on February 22 (7pm-9pm PT). Check the Wrestling Guy’s podcast page for the release if they also do Q&A sessions.
One last podcast to mention is an older episode of AfterBuzz TV’s Ringside Pop with executive producer Eric Van Wagenen. The hour-long conversation took place before the airing of Ultima Lucha Tres, but it still holds up well since very little has occurred since then.
I thought the most interesting part of Ringside Pop was the explanation (8 minute mark to 21 minute mark) of how the financing works. It is too confusing for me to summarize, but it is worth listening for yourself if that sort of thing grabs your attention. The rest of the episode is entertaining in its own right with stories about the Black Lotus Triad, the backstage set arrangements of the Temple, the lawyer’s pre-show legal warning, and more.
Season four of Lucha Underground is getting closer. Who’s pumped to the max already? How many episodes do you prefer per season? Who would you like to see debut in season four of Lucha Underground? Which luchador would you choose for rebirth and which luchador would you sacrifice?