The DC Extended Universe is finally ready to slow down on recycling well-known characters and bring about fresh faces. Cobra Kai (2018-) star Xolo Maridueña speaks on his casting confirmation as the Blue Beetle and what it means to him as a Latino actor.
The news broke at the premiere of The Suicide Squad (2021) and was confirmed that Maridueña would headline the Blue Beetle feature as Jaime "Blue Beetle" Reyes. Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Sota was also at the event where the announcement was first validated.
“The only thing that is on my mind right now is just the fact that [Reyes] is Latino. I have so much pride in getting to be a part of this project with Angel, someone like him,” Maridueña said to Variety's Marc Malkin. “I think it’s so important, and I don’t want to stand on the soapbox for too long but representation is so important.”
Maridueña has no hesitation when it comes to the training that's associated with superhero movies. He credits his background in martial arts for helping him prepare for his first comic book movie. “Luckily I have a background in martial arts and training in that kind of realm but this is a whole different game, this is like the big boys, so I’m ready to pack on a couple [of] pounds and hit the gym."
For the director, Maridueña was the first choice for the role. “Since I got the invitation from DC to work on this project, I couldn’t stop seeing him as the character," Sota said. The lead actor is confident in what he and Sota are working on. “It’s such a great opportunity, and I’m not going to take it lightly, and we’re about to make a kick-ass movie.”
Blue Beetle is preparing to start filming and will be an HBO Max exclusive feature for DC Films.
Comments