In the past decade or so, we’ve watched as the superhero genre has not only become more expansive with more movies than ever before, but also more representative of different cultures from around the world (and universe). Cultures that were once overlooked or treated as minor parts of these stories are now front and center, which will be the case when Blue Beetle soars and inspires its way into theaters this summer.
In honor of CinemaBlend’s partnership with AMC Theatres, where you can now purchase tickets for Blue Beetle, and in anticipation of the superhero’s big screen debut on August 18th, we wanted to take a look at some of the things the comic book movie’s star, director, and screenwriter have said about bringing Latin flair and representation to the DC Universe.
Blue Beetle Will Be The First DC Movie Starring A Latino Superhero
Surprisingly enough, there has never been a DC Comics movie led by a Latino superhero. But that will change with the release of Blue Beetle. Back in early 2021, The Wrap reported that director Angel Manuel Soto and screenwriter Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer were working on a movie that would tell the story of Jaime Reyes, a Mexican-American teenager who took on the role of Blue Beetle in the pages of DC Comics, with Soto saying:
It is an honor to direct Blue Beetle, the first Latino superhero film for DC. I want to sincerely thank everyone at Warner Bros. and DC for trusting me to bring Jaime Reyes to life. I can’t wait to make history together.
While there have been Latino superheroes featured in movies over the years, most recently with Miles Morales in the Spider-Verse movies, this will be a first for the DCU, as well as in the realm of live-action comic movies.
Xolo Maridueña Has Said He Has ‘So Much Pride’ For Being Part Of Blue Beetle
Several months later, at the August 2021 premiere of The Suicide Squad, Xolo Maridueña, who is best known for his portrayal of Miguel Diaz on Cobra Kai, confirmed to Variety that he had been cast as DC Comics’ first Latino superhero, a fact that was not lost on the rising star:
The only thing that is on my mind right now is just the fact that he’s Latino. I have so much pride in getting to be a part of this project with Angel [Manuel Soto], someone like him. I think it’s so important, and I don’t want to stand on the soapbox for too long but representation is so important.
And Soto was just as complimentary on the red carpet, as he told the outlet that Maridueña was his first choice, saying he “couldn’t stop seeing him as the character.”
The Blue Beetle Star Is Excited To Show A Story That Hasn’t Really Been Told Before
A few months after he revealed that he would be playing DC’s first Latino superhero, Xolo Maridueña shared his excitement about being involved with the project. In a December 2021 USA Today interview,the Cobra Kai star was especially stoked about being part of a trailblazing movie focusing on Latino culture:
Honestly, it feels like I’ve skipped a few stepping stones. ‘Cobra Kai’ has been such a wonderful opportunity, (and) it feels a little bit intimidating being this is my first movie and it’s in a realm that’s totally different than anything I’ve ever worked on. I’m nervous, but I’m excited. It’s gonna be important, not only for Latinos and to see people of color, brown people, represented onscreen, but also show a story that we haven’t really seen before.
Going off what we’ve seen in the Blue Beetle trailers, people from many backgrounds and walks of life will be represented in the upcoming movie, which should create a rich world for the superhero’s story to unfold.
Jaime Reyes' Relationship With His Family Is A Major Part Of The Movie
One aspect of Blue Beetle that will separate the movie from other superhero origin stories is the fact that Jaime Reyes won’t keep his powers a secret from his family. When taking part in a 2021 THR roundtable discussion about the next generation of superhero stories, writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer compared Jaime’s family dynamic to that of Spider-Man’s Peter Parker:
You can make a movie that is unabashedly Latino or, to a certain extent, Mexican American. [Blue Beetle’s] Jaime Reyes and [Spider-Man’s] Peter Parker are similar characters but are so different at the same time. For example, when Peter Parker gets bitten by a radioactive spider, his first instinct is to hide it from his family. Whereas, in a Mexican American household, there’s no hiding because your life is so intertwined with your family. His family should be a part of his journey, intrinsically.
This element was a major part of the movie’s second and final trailer, with essentially every member of Jaime’s family getting plenty of time on screen.
Angel Manuel Soto Wanted To Find An ‘Authentic Group Of People’ For The Latino Cast
In Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes’ family members are played by great Latino actors like George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, and several others. When speaking with The Wrap about the cast, Angel Manuel Soto said his goal from the beginning was to find an “authentic group of people” for those roles, stating:
Initially, my goal with finding the family was to be able to have an authentic group of people, not just as authentic on the Latino side, but authentic on the accents and authentic on the experience overall, it was very important for me to have the elders in the family to be from Mexico.
He would go on to stress that he wanted to honor those “amazing beloved actors from Mexico” that have made a massive impact on Latin American cinema and culture as a whole in the United States.
Though The Movie Is 'Unapologetically Latino,’ Its Star Thinks It Will Appeal To Everyone
Though a Latino superhero and his family are front and center in Blue Beetle, Xolo Maridueña stressed during an April 2023 interview with IGN that the movie will appeal to audiences of all backgrounds, especially when it comes to those interpersonal relationships:
Whether or not you're Latino, it transcends ethnicity, it transcends color or skin because that's something that we can all relate [to]. The most exciting part is that although it is undeniably or unapologetically Latino, everyone will understand [Jaime Reyes’ sister] Milagros. Everyone understands Jaime because they're the people who we've interacted with in our daily life and the problems that they're facing are problems that we know.
In the same interview, Angel Manuel Soto said he hopes the movie “starts a conversation” that helps everyone “embrace each other's differences” in an exciting way.
By the sound of it, this is going to be as eye-opening as it is entertaining and heartfelt as it is epic, which is great on so many different levels. If this has you even more excited for Blue Beetle, you’ll probably want to go ahead and purchase your tickets before the movie arrives in theaters on August 18th.
