 Rita Moreno was cast as Valentina, a reworked version of the character Doc.In January 2019, newcomer Rachel Zegler was cast in the lead role of Maria, with Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, and Josh Andrés Rivera also cast as Anita, Bernardo, and Chino, respectively.In March 2019, Corey Stoll and Brian d'Arcy James joined the cast.