When Citadel dropped in 2023, it wasn’t just a series — it was the blueprint for a multi-national spy universe. Now, Citadel: Diana brings the Italian chapter into the mix, setting its story in a near-future Milan torn apart by espionage, betrayal, and explosions of sleek, stylish action.
Matilda De Angelis, who plays the titular spy Diana, and producer Gina Gardini sat down with Kyle Meredith With… to talk about this unique slice of the Citadel universe, the challenge of portraying complex emotions in the middle of high-octane chaos, and how Italian identity shaped the story.
De Angelis’ character is a study in contrasts: a young orphan obsessed with avenging her parents and a seasoned spy caught behind enemy lines in 2030. “She’s such a complex character,” De Angelis explains. “I fell in love with her immediately.” Playing two versions of Diana — one vulnerable, one hardened by trauma — was both challenging and thrilling.
Her eyes tell half the story. A director’s early advice to “trust your eyes” became De Angelis’ mantra. “It’s about feeling something deeply, but being able to hide it. That was the trick,” she reveals. And when the action kicks in, subtlety meets spectacle. The first scene — a self-inflicted gunshot — sets the tone for the high-stakes world Diana inhabits.
For Gardini, the allure of Citadel: Diana was its creative freedom. “The idea was to make a uniquely Italian show,” she says. While it exists in the same universe as the original Citadel, there were no strict rules about interconnectedness. “We wanted it to resonate with Italians first and foremost, with a grounded, near-future setting that felt plausible.”
This meant steering away from Italy’s tourist-friendly clichés. Instead of Venice or Rome, the series dives into Milan’s gritty underbelly. “That authenticity — that insider view — is what excites international audiences,” Gardini notes. And while each Citadel entry stands alone, the shared DNA of espionage and global stakes ties them together.
Citadel: Diana isn’t just about brooding spies — it’s about high-stakes action. For De Angelis, who trained for months to perform her own stunts, the physicality was a dream come true. “As an Italian actress, you don’t get these chances every day,” she says. With a background in gymnastics, she threw herself into the role. “When I read the script, I knew I wanted to do it all.”
The training paid off. De Angelis’ Diana is a kinetic force, blending grace and ferocity in fight scenes that feel raw and real. “It was like a flashback to my gymnast days,” she laughs.
For both De Angelis and Gardini, Citadel: Diana represents a new frontier — not just for Italian TV, but for storytelling itself. The idea of a shared universe, told through different cultures, languages, and timelines, is uncharted territory. “Has this ever been done before?” Gardini asks. “Not like this.”
With Citadel: Diana, the future of the spy genre is multilingual, multi-faceted, and just a little bit dangerous. And for De Angelis’ Diana, the mission is far from over.
Watch the interview above and then check out the trailer below.
