Mabel Cadena

Mabel Cadena, born Mitzi Mabel Martínez Cadena on 23 September 1990 in Atizapán de Zaragoza, State of Mexico, is a versatile Mexican actress whose career spans television, cinema, and international blockbusters. Raised in Minatitlán, Veracruz, she pursued a licentiate in psychology at Universidad Veracruzana before turning to the performing arts, training at the CasAzul Artes Escénicas Argos academy in Tlalnepantla de Baz. Her early stage work honed her craft, and she made a notable television debut in 2012 as Adela Rosa Chávez in the acclaimed HBO series Capadocia, marking the beginning of a prolific TV résumé that includes roles in Camelia la Texana, El Señor de los Cielos, Érase una vez, Las Malcriadas, Ingobernable, Por la máscara, La Bandida and Monarca. In 2019 she tackled the linguistic challenge of speaking Nahuatl to portray Tecuelhuetzin in the historical series Hernán, a performance she described as both terrifying and liberating. Cadena transitioned to film with The Eternal Feminine (2017) and gained critical attention for her lead in Julián Hernández’s La diosa del asfalto (2020) and David Pablos’s Dance of the 41 (2020), where she embodied Amada Díaz, the step‑daughter of Porfirio Díaz, earning widespread recognition in Mexico. Her short‑film work, including Menage à trois (2015), Cuatro Minutos (2021) and Venganza póstuma (2022), showcases her willingness to explore diverse storytelling formats. The breakthrough into Hollywood arrived in 2022 when she was cast as Namora, the cousin of Namor, in Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, introducing her talent to a global audience. Throughout her career, Cadena has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to challenging roles, linguistic dedication, and a seamless blend of Mexican cultural roots with international appeal, establishing her as one of the most dynamic figures in contemporary Latin American cinema.