Army of the Dead's Ana de la Reguera explains the reason behind the tension between her character Cruz and Ella Purnell's Kate. Zack Snyder's return to the zombie genre arrives in theaters this Friday before debuting on Netflix next week, making for a historical moment for the streamer. With Army of the Dead, Netflix is hoping to kickstart its own franchise. The film follows a team of mercenaries led by Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) who venture into a zombie-infested Las Vegas with the goal of nabbing a multimillion dollar prize tucked in an abandoned casino.
The team is made up of several colorful characters all ripe for their own spin-offs (and indeed, one is on the way for Matthias Schweighöfer's Dieter). Army of the Dead includes the likes of Tig Notaro (as pilot Marianne Peters), Omari Hardwick (solider Vanderohe), and Garret Dillahunt (inside man Martin). Reguera plays Maria Cruz, a mechanic with a deep relationship with Scott. That relationship causes some issues between Cruz and Kate, Scott's estranged daughter.
Screen Rant recently received the opportunity to talk to Reguera about Army of the Dead. One of the interesting parts of our conversation pertained to Cruz's dynamic with Kate, which runs deeper than what is shown on the screen. According to Reguera, there is a vital piece of their relationship that they shot but ultimately was cut from the film. She said:
Ana de la Reguera: There's actually something that we missed in the movie - we shot it, but it's only a little bit there. Kate and Cruz don't get along that well, especially because Kate feels that she's betraying her mom. And I'm there - it's not [in the movie], but we shot it - when Scott kills his wife. I witnessed it, and Kate is there with me. She blames us, so that's why she's not that crazy about me.
And I'm not crazy about it either, that she's there with us. I think it's not a good idea. She doesn't know how to fight, so there's going to be something else that we're going to have to be worried about. And also, I feel a little betrayed because I thought it was more about us as a team, and I sense that he's doing it for something else - probably to get closer to his daughter. And that's good, that's okay, but he should have said that.
Snyder previously revealed he and co-writer Shay Hatten came up with a full bible for the Army of the Dead universe. That seems to extend to the backstories of the characters. Based on Reguera's comments, it's clear a lot of thought went into Cruz and Kate's dynamic, even if it didn't end up onscreen. It's a shame that piece of their relationship won't be seen, but it will at least color what is shown in Army of the Dead. Additionally, Reguera will be a part of the animated prequel show Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, and that could potentially feature the missing details of her past.
Army of the Dead's cast has repeatedly praised the movie's female ensemble for their fierce personalities, but that evidently could also be applied to the relationships between them. It would be easy for all these women to have no real relationships, but Cruz and Kate have an emotional history that can enhance both of their characters. Not all of it is on the screen, but fans can now go into Army of the Dead knowing exactly what went down between these women before the movie began.
