Danny Pino has joined the cast of MGM+’s upcoming series The Magnificent Seven as a series regular, adding to an ensemble that already includes Matt Dillon as Chris Adams, Will Patton as Cyrus T. Clemons, and Michael Ealy as Vin Tanner. The project is set in the 1880s American frontier and reimagines the classic story around seven gifted but flawed mercenaries hired to protect a peaceful Quaker village after it is devastated by men working for a ruthless land baron seeking to seize its land.
The series centers on the moral conflict at the heart of the mission: whether violence can ever be justified in defense of people whose faith is rooted in non-violence. As the Seven prepare to face overwhelming odds, the show will explore each character’s backstory, motivations, and personal stakes, while weaving in themes of honor, sacrifice, redemption, morality, and faith.
Pino will play Santiago “Santi” Vega, a new character created for the series and not part of the original 1960 film or the 2016 Antoine Fuqua remake. Santi is described as charming, stylish, and quick with a joke, a smooth-talking manipulator who prefers to talk his way out of trouble. Born in San Antonio to a maid mother and an aristocratic father who never claimed him, Santi grew up without help and learned to survive on his own through card cheating, schemes, and improvisation. When Chris and Vin first encounter him, they do not find a simple grifter, but someone in the middle of a brawl whose knife and gun skills immediately command attention. Beneath his cynicism and sharp wit, he is said to be more sensitive and haunted than he reveals.
The series is written and executive produced by Tim Kring, with Donald De Line, Lawrence Mirisch, Bruce Kaufman, and Matt Dillon also serving as executive producers. Seth Yanklewitz is handling casting. MGM+ Studios and MGM Television Studios are producing the series.
Pino brings extensive television, film, and theater experience to the role. He recently starred in MGM+’s Hotel Cocaine and played Miguel Galindo in FX’s Mayans M.C., where he also made his directorial debut. He is also widely known for portraying Detective Nick Amaro on Law & Order: SVU and Detective Scotty Valens on Cold Case.
