Sons Of Anarchy: Emilio Rivera Talks Marcus Alvarez And Mayans MC [Exclusive]

In just a couple of weeks, Mayans MC – the first spin-off from the world of Sons Of Anarchy – will begin filming its pilot episode. While many of the characters from the original show won’t be back for this new ride, one original cast member has been involved with the spin-off’s production.

Emilio Rivera played Marcus Alvarez on Sons Of Anarchy, and the character was the original founder of the Mayans. It hasn’t yet been confirmed exactly what Rivera’s role will be in the new series – or if Alvarez will get some more screen time – but Rivera is excited for the series nonetheless.

Last week, he was taking some of the new cast members to an instructional riding lesson in Arizona. Before that, he was spending time with Kurt Sutter and Elgin James, talking over some of the creative aspects.

In the middle of his busy schedule, Rivera took some time to chat with ComicBook about the upcoming series. In regards to learning that Mayans MC was going to be moving forward as the first SOA spin-off, Rivera revealed that it was a long time in the making.

“We were wrapping up Sons, there was a little bit of talk about it but there’s always talk about that. Even early on people be talking about it but nothing was ever set in stone. It was never verified so we didn’t really know what was going on for like eight months or so. This might be going down and only because people started congratulating me before I even knew what the hell was going on which was really cool. I’m just glad that Kurt kept me alive because I remember one time I told Kurt, I go ‘Brother when you finally decide to kill me please don’t let me die in a chicken sh** way. Let me go out blazing.’ He put his hand on my shoulder he goes, ‘Your death will be glorious.’ I’m glad he wasn’t then maybe he’ll be this time around but at least I’m here to talk about it.”

Since Mayans MC will take place after the events of Sons Of Anarchy, fans are aware that they will have to live in a world without Jax Teller. The character’s decisions in the series finale had a huge impact on the world of the viewers, as well as the world of the MC.

Fortunately, for Alvarez and the Mayans, life went on. Here’s what Rivera had to say regarding what Alvarez has been up to since the original series:

“Business as usual, bro. I was sad that Jax had to die and Filip, he tred. The thing is life goes on. Business is business. I got to pay the bills. I got to feed the family so business as usual. Pretty much that’s all that’s been happening and now we’re going to rank up and again we got to deal with it.”

UP NEXT: Rivera Reveals What Made SOA Great

The Mayans MC pilot is set to film this April in Los Angeles. Sons Of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter is directing the episode, with a script written by showrunner Elgin James. If picked up to series, the show will likely air on FX this fall. The cast for the series includes JD Pardo, Antonio Jaramillo, Clayton Cardenas, John Ortiz, Richard Cabral, Sarah Bolger, and Edward James Olmos.

Set in the aftermath of Jax Teller’s death at the end of SOA’s seven-season run in 2014, Mayans MC will focus on the struggles of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes, a prospect in the Mayan MC charter on the California/Mexico border. EZ is the gifted son of a proud Latino family, whose American dream was snuffed out by cartel violence. Now, his need for vengeance drives him toward a life he never intended and can never escape.

Casting Reveals Link To SOA / Emilio Rivera’s Role Revealed / Kurt Sutter Set To Direct Mayans MC

CORRECTION: It was reported in a previous article that Sons Of Anarchy star David Labrava was a former member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. That information was incorrect, as Labrava is a current member – in good standing – of the Hells Angels.