On Monday, The Wrap reported that actor Xolo Maridueña (“Cobra Kai”) is officially in talks to star as the lead role Jaime Reyes for the upcoming HBO Max “Blue Beetle” solo film.
Maridueña, who is of Mexican, Cuban and Ecuadorian heritage is best known for his role as Miguel Diaz on the Netflix original series “Cobra Kai,” the continuation of the “Karate Kid” franchise. The fourth season of “Cobra Kai” will premiere in the fourth quarter of 2021.
In the world of DC Comics, “Blue Beetle” is a superhero alter ego used by three different heroes, but the film will focus on Mexican-American teenager Jaime Reyes who is the third character to assume the “Blue Beetle” mantle.
The character of “Blue Beetle” was created by Charles Wojtkowski for Fox Comics in 1939 as the alter ego of Dan Garrett, a police officer who uses experimental vitamins to develop superpowers. Dan Garrett was an archeologist who discovered the Blue Beetle scarab and used its power to fight crime.
Though his successor, Ted Kord, was unable to harness the scarab’s power, the brilliant billionaire took on the Blue Beetle mantle from his mentor using technology and martial arts. Years later, a teenage boy named Jaime Reyes came into the possession of the Blue Beetle scarab and used it to manifest a weaponized exoskeleton. Taking on the Beetle mantle, Jaime used the suit for good alongside his two best friends Brenda and Paco.
Also to note, the DC Universe has officially cast four Latin actors in key film roles this year, with Leslie Grace(Barbara Gordon in “Batgirl”) who is Dominican-American, joining Sasha Calle (Supergirl in “The Flash”), Rachel Zegler, who was cast as a mystery role in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”, and now Xolo Maridueña(“Blue Beetle”).
As of now, no plot details have been revealed about the film.
“HBO Max presents a huge opportunity for DC,” Warner Bros. Picture Group Chair Toby Emmerich revealed in an interview earlier this year. “It allows us to make high-quality mid-budget superhero movies that reintroduce lesser-known DC titles, while also crossing over stand-out characters from our bigger films into original series. Connecting the DC cinematic universe with Max gives our fans more ways to explore the DC multiverse and more chances to enjoy more great stories with these beloved characters.”
The film will debut on HBO Max. Angel Manuel Soto(“Charm City Kings”) will direct from a screenplay by Mexican-born writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, (Universal’s “Scarface” remake, “Miss Bala.”) John Rickard is set to produce for HBO Max, and Zev Foreman is executive-producing the project.
The Blue Beetle film is looking to start production early next year. No official release date has been confirmed by Warner Media for “Blue Beetle” on HBO Max.
