Melissa Barrera Returns to TV for Another Round of Suffering, But This Time It's Not a Telenovela

Nearly a year ago, many thought Melissa Barrera's career was over. Today, it's clear that she's just getting started. The Mexican actress has been cast in a highly anticipated new series, which, although it doesn't even have a title yet, is already generating a lot of buzz.

The untitled project is for Peacock and comes from Australian horror film king James Wan and Marvel star Simu Liu - quite the impressive team! According to the official press release, the story centers around a first-generation American intelligence analyst named Alexander Hale, played by Liu. He discovers that his brain has been hacked, and criminals now have access to everything he sees and hears.

"Trapped between his job in a shadowy agency and the hackers, he must maintain a false life 24/7 to track down those who invaded his mind and prove his loyalty," the press release states.

Melissa will play a character named Michelle, who is the kind of character you can't tell is good or bad until the very end.

Considering the plot and Wan's track record ("The Conjuring," "M3Gan 2.0," "Saw," and more), it's safe to say that this return to television will be filled with suffering and causing others to suffer, though it's nothing like the soap operas she started with.

Melissa's Early Days in Telenovelas

At the start of her career, Melissa starred in productions such as La Mujer de Judas and Siempre Tuya Acapulco.

Although she had already headlined two Scream movies and was the star of In the Heights, the film based on Lin-Manuel Miranda's first musical, she had a solid career but wasn't exactly a household name. That all changed when she started speaking out on social media, condemning Israel's actions in Palestine. Some criticized her, while others praised her courage, but she certainly stopped flying under the radar.

The projects she had lined up also helped, including films like Young Monster and Abigail. She had even finished filming The Collaboration, a movie about the life of American painter Basquiat, where she plays a close friend of his.

Everything's in the Past Now

In an interview with The Latin Times, Melissa shared, "What has changed the most is all the support I've received. The love people show me." She was referring to the moment she was let go from Scream.

"I felt like I had an army behind me," she said.

While that army might have been on social media back then, her packed schedule for the next two years proves she has another kind of backing in real life. Besides the series, she's already signed on for films The One and God's Country. In the latter, she's also serving as a producer.

In other words, the future looks incredibly bright for Melissa Barrera. Her career is not only continuing but thriving with diverse projects that showcase her talents across various genres, taking her far beyond her telenovela roots.