Following the actor’s participation in a scene filmed in the heart of New York for two days back to back, it was inevitable that the world would find out Batista is back.
The cat is officially out of the bag.
After months of silence and secrecy surrounding David Zayas’ return in the second season of Dexter: Resurrection, the actor’s strong presence in Times Square, the busiest spot in the Big Apple, finally confirmed in the best way possible that he is set to reprise his beloved role as Angel Batista.
And this time, there was no hiding it.
David Zayas’ Return Is No Longer a Secret
For those who haven’t been following our updates though, this is not exactly new.
Back in the spring, just a few weeks after Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 began filming in New York City, David Zayas was already spotted shooting a scene. The actor was even photographed chatting with crew members between takes.
This latest sighting, however, was a completely different situation.
Zayas was seen filming a specific scene alongside Michael C. Hall in the heart of Times Square, dressed in character and sporting the classic Miami look that any viewer instantly associate with Angel Batista. And this was noticealy different from the more... New York-style wardrobe Batista had during the first season of Dexter: Resurrection.
With Times Square packed with people, smartphones and cameras everywhere, keeping a huge returning character a secret was actually impossible.
And honestly, it seems the production was perfectly fine with that.
The scenes were being filmed in one of the busiest and most recognizable locations in New York, with two major Dexter actors right in the middle of it all. Under those circumstances, it was only a matter of time before photos and videos started appearing online.
Paramount+ Still Hasn’t Officially Confirmed Batista’s Return
To this day, Paramount+ has never publicly announced or officially confirmed David Zayas’ involvement in Dexter: Resurrection Season 2.
But the latest set photos and behind-the-scenes videos actually gave more than enough evidence forsome big entertainment outlets, including Deadline, to report on Angel Batista’s return, making the news much more widely known.
Ironically, despite everything that happened during Season 1, some fans immediately started wondering whether Batista could somehow be alive after seeing Zayas back in character.
That, of course, is not what is happening.
Just like Harry Morgan, Brian Moser, and Debra Morgan, Batista’s appearances are connected to Dexter’s... inner world.
Batista Is Part of Dexter’s "Interior Landscape"
The various sightings of David Zayas on the set of Dexter: Resurrection Season 2, which are actually fewer than many people probably realize, are seemingly all connected to Dexter’s "interior landscape." In other words, Angel Batista is dead, but he will still appear on screen as part of Dexter’s conscience, memories, guilt, or imagination. And honestly... we’re here for it.
There is also an interesting detail that seems to support this. On the two different occasions Batista has been spotted filming Season 2, David Zayas has been wearing the exact same outfit, from the fedora and shirt to the trousers and shoes.
That is very similar to how Harry Morgan has been portrayed throughout the sequel series, with James Remar repeatedly appearing in the same familiar clothing when he returns as part of Dexter’s mind. It looks like Batista is following the same "visual rule."
Seeing Angel Batista appear in Dexter’s mind opens the door for a completely different kind of relationship between the two characters, especially considering everything Dex has been through and everything that happened between them in the OG series and Dexter: Resurrection.
Will Batista be a voice of guilt? Will he actually challenge Dexter’s choices? Will he confront him about the life he has created? We’ll have to wait and see.
And with the official trailer for Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 just around the corner, hopefully we won’t have to wait much longer for our first real glimpse of what Angel Batista’s return is going to look like... if Paramount+ decides to include him in it.