Dos Equis debuts younger, Spanish-speaking 'Most Interesting Man'

With Jonathan Goldsmith's "Most Interesting Man" character presumably languishing on Mars, Dos Equis has found a new pitchman to fill his shoes.

The Heineken-owned beer brand announced the new hire in a short teaser commercial in which French actor Augustin Legrand watches one of his predecessor's ads in a dingy Mexican bar.

"Think anyone will ever be as interesting as him?" the bartender asks in Spanish.

Legrand raises his eyebrows as an action-packed montage flashes through various James Bond-like exploits in far-flung places.

"It's hard to say," he finally responds, also in Spanish.

Back when Goldsmith's character was rocketed to the Red Planet earlier this year, Heineken's U.S. marketing chief Nuno Teles told Mashable that he imagined the iconic campaign's transition as akin to a superhero franchise reboot. The marketing team even sought out some of the creators behind the James Bond films for advice.

"Why do you change something that is working? Because we can do better. Because we know that we have a way to evolve," Teles said in an interview at the time.

Appearance-wise, the new spokesman isn't much of a departure from the character Goldsmith perfected -- though Legrand is 36 years his junior.

But whereas Goldsmith's worldly antics tended to avoid muddying his immaculate tux, Legrand's iteration is meant to be more of a MacGyver type who lives in the moment rather than reminiscing on past glory.

"In this first glimpse, he shares hints of being a resourceful, rough and tumble guy, who remains a jack-of-all-trades hero that one would expect from the man bearing this infamous title," a Dos Equis spokesperson said in a statement.

The description fits the profile Dos Equis had in mind at the time of Goldsmith's send-off. The brand said it was looking for a more modern take on the mascot -- someone who wouldn't seem out of place on social media, for example.

"Jonathan as the 'Most Interesting Man' is always looking back," Teles said. "He's always referring to what he did in the past. We believe there's space to be more relevant for current consumers as well as new customers."

While market research showed interest in the campaign remained steady throughout Goldsmith's tenure, the reboot seems to be geared towards younger customers.

Dos Equis hopes the new character will help it continue to expand its customer base in order to maintain its status as the fastest growing beer brand in the United States.

Dos Equis's long-running "Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign proved more successful than its creators had ever dreamt when it debuted a decade ago. The success propelled the then-low profile beer brand into a household name.

The brand will reveal more about its new leading man in a commercial set to air late next month in conjunction with its sponsorship of the College Football Playoff.