A special DC superhero from the comics is set to make his budget-friendly on-screen debut in the next few months, and it’s none other than Jaime Reyes, aka Blue Beetle (Xolo Maridueña), the first-ever Latino superhero in the DC universe. The film director recently addressed whether more Latinx heroes will be featured as the narrative comes along, but given that James Gunn is currently revamping the DCU, no one knows what could happen in this part of the universe. That’s why Maridueña has already communicated his desire to stay in the franchise if he's given the chance.
“There's always room for — especially as we kind of are changing, maybe, what the vision looks like for the future of DC. I think to your point, Blue Beetle has the potential to be a great catapult for this new vision. And I think that it's been the point that it's stood alone since the beginning. It's not something that we've had to remove ourselves from the greater universe. It's always naturally, inherently, felt like it stands alone. And if they want to incorporate it with the rest of the universe, I'd be super excited. But at the end of the day, getting the doors open for all of the tremendous people in front of and behind the camera, that's what's [important].” the actor told SlashFilm.
Since Gunn and Peter Safran took over the post as co-heads, there have been a few shakeups, and it’s quite telling that despite the cancelled DC movies like Batgirl, which was already filming before it was canned, Blue Beetle has managed to stay alive, see the light at the end of the tunnel, and will be soon meeting the fans on the big screen. Not to mention that when Gunn and Safran announced the first slate of their DC projects, the Peacemaker creator straight-up said that Blue Beetle has the chance to be part of the new DCU.
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“I think that we've gotten lucky with the next four movies, frankly, because we have 'Shazam!,' which leads into '[The] Flash,' which resets everything. Which then goes to 'Blue Beetle,' which is totally disconnected, he can totally be a part of the DCU.” said Gunn.
Blue Beetle is directed by Angel Manuel Soto, with its screenplay written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. The rest of the cast includes Bruna Marquezine as Reyes’s love interest Penny, while Belissa Escobedo will play the role of Reyes’s sister Milagros. Harvey Guillén has also been cast in an undisclosed role.
Blue Beetle premieres in cinemas on August 18, 2023.
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