ON Aug 7, actor Xolo Mariduena (first name pronounced “Sho-low”) will be making his superhero debut in Blue Beetle as Jaime Reyes, a teenager who gains superpowers when he merges with an alien tech called “Scarab”.
Blue Beetle will not only be Mariduena’s debut as a DC Comics superhero, but will also be his big screen debut after television roles such as in Cobra Kai.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mariduena pointed out that he was curious how far the filmmakers would lean into the Latino aspect of the film, as reading the script before filming Blue Beetle was a “cathartic experience” for the actor.
“I had the realisation that my whole upbringing... I mean, every family dinner that was placed on the table, I wasn’t calling it Mexican food, right? I was just calling it dinner. I was just calling it food. And I had that same homey feeling (while reading the script),” he said.
Initially, Blue Beetle, like the canned Batgirl film, was set to debut on HBO Max. But unlike Batgirl, this film was upgraded to a theatrical release.
Likening it to winning the lottery twice, Mariduena explained that while playing a superhero was a life-changing experience that he was grateful for and appreciated, he was floored when DC and Warner Bros saw the film’s potential for the big screen.
The actor also pointed how important it was to centre the film around the Reyes family, as Jaime gets his powers – as seen in the first trailer – in front of his family members.
“It’s a journey the whole family can take together. Honestly, that’s something I relate to. A lot of the big milestones in my life – whether they were good or maybe not so good – I crossed with my family.
That’s something I’m just so excited to see translated onto the screen,” he said.
After DC Studios co-head James Gunn previously confirmed that Blue Beetle is “the first DC Universe character”, Mariduena claimed that he has spoken to Gunn about his future in the DCU.
“(Gunn and DC co-head Peter Safran) are really happy for our project and so excited for us to kick off what is to eventually become the next DCU,” Mariduena claimed, adding that he would be happy whether there are 20 more movies or 40 cameos.
