Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Soto shared a wholesome behind-the-scenes video, showing the moment Xolo Maridueña learned that he got the leading part in the DC Universe movie.
As the first reactions to Blue Beetle arrived online, Soto took to Instagram to express his excitement for Maridueña’s official debut as the first Latino superhero to lead a DC movie. His post was accompanied by a sweet video, featuring the Cobra Kai breakout’s emotional reaction to landing the titular role. It also showed Soto relaying the good news to the Maridueña family through Facetime. Due to the ongoing actors’ strike, the cast isn’t able to promote the upcoming movie during its premiere week. Because of this, 27 Latino organizations have banded together to invite its community to promote Blue Beetle in an “effort to amplify the work that countless Latino artists have worked so hard to create.”
The Blue Beetle movie will see Maridueña portray the live-action version of Mexican superhero Jaime Reyes, who’s actually the third person in DC Comics to form a bond with the alien scarab. This marks the young actor’s first high-profile feature as the lead, following his breakout performance as Miguel Diaz in Netflix’s Karate Kid sequel series Cobra Kai. He is expected to reprise the role in the upcoming sixth and final season of the martial arts dramedy.
In the film, Jaime Reyes accidentally becomes the new symbiotic host of an ancient alien Scarab named Khaji-Da (voiced by Becky G), who grants him superhuman abilities and an exoskeleton armor. With the power of the suit, he can create and wield any weapon he imagines. Joining Maridueña are George Lopez, Damián Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Belissa Escobedo, and Adriana Barraza, who will play the Reyes family. The film also stars Bruna Marquezine, Harvey Guillén, and Raoul Max Trujillo, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon as the main antagonist.
Blue Beetle’s Future in James Gunn’s DC Universe
In a previous interview, Maridueña expressed his desire to continue playing Blue Beetle in future DCU projects, confirming that he had already discussed his character’s potential future with DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. “Yeah, I have had the chance to speak with them,” he said. “They’re really happy for our project and so excited for us to kick off what is to eventually become the next DCU. But with this movie, really what we wanted to highlight was Jaime’s story and the Reyes family’s story. I’m excited to see what they have in mind and how Blue Beetle and the rest of his family might loop into the rest.”
Soto also promised fans that the upcoming Blue Beetle movie is only the beginning of the hero’s “expanding” story in the DCU. The Charm City Kings filmmaker previously clarified that the film won’t have any connection to the DC Extended Universe. “Yes, our movie lives in the world where superheroes exist,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean that a certain event, or certain alliance, or certain things from the past dictate where our film is going.”
Blue Beetle premieres in theaters on Aug. 18.
Source: Instagram