Xolo Maridueña inBlue Beetleis one of the best superhero castings in recent memory. His performance has the right balance of humor and heart for the fledging hero Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle, andMaridueña is perhaps the film’s biggest asset.ThoughBlue Beetleultimately underperformed at the box office, it fared more favorably with critics and fans, earning a 77% critic score and a 91% audience score onRotten Tomatoes. The movie is a fun ride that does its source material justice, pun unintended.
Blue Beetlefollows Jaime after he accidentally bonds with an alien scarab that gives him superpowers.Directed by Angel Manuel Soto, it also stars George Lopez, Becky G, Bruna Marquezine, Damián Alcázar, Adriana Barraz, Harvey Guillén, Raoul Max Trujillo, and Susan Sarandon. According to Soto,Maridueña was always his top choice to play Jaime. The director stated: “His persona is pretty much the character of Jaime Reyes. It was a natural fit.”
Xolo Maridueña Is A Real-Life Showcase Of The Commitment He Has For The Character
The Actor’s Tattoo Perfectly Honors His DC Role
For his part, Maridueña has exhibited so much love for the character that I can’t help but think he’s the best fit for the role. Recently, he displayed even more dedication to Jaime’s character with a beautiful tattoo. His ink shows a stylized blue scarab, which is located where the scarab attaches to Jaime’s spine.His choice to honor his character in this way demonstrates just how much Jaime means to him,and to me, that’s a huge part of why his performance is so captivating.
Discussing why he is so attached toBlue Beetle, Maridueña toldForbesthat the film “is so important because there wasn’t really an example of a Blue Beetle when [he] was a kid.” The actor then added: “To get to work on this project that not only has Latinos in front of the camera but behind the camera… really has changed the whole game for me.” He found making the film to be an “honoring experience for [his] culture,” which enabled him “to really show that we do belong in this space that we’ve been left out for so long.”
Xolo Maridueña’s Jaime Reyes Needs To Stay In The DCU
Maridueña’s understanding of the character and drive to represent his culture in the superhero genre definitely translated to a strong performance. Because of his talent and dedication, I was overjoyed when James Gunn revealed thatMaridueña will make the leap from the DCEU to his and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe. According to Gunn,the first DCU movie is still 2025’sSuperman, but the first DCU character is Jaime, indicating that there is more of him to come.
More recently,the actor also discussed his return, stating “I know we’ll see Blue Beetle again, whether it comes in the form of Blue Beetle 2 or wherever.” He elaborated that “it’s been really great to work alongside James [Gunn] and Peter [Safran], who have graciously folded us into their new universe even though it wasn’t part of what they came up with.” Even though he didn’t divulge further details,Maridueña’s comments have me excited for his next appearance, be it in a solo film or in a team-up outing likeTeen Titans.
The Nature Of DCEU’s Blue Beetle Movie Means Keeping The Casting For The DCU Makes Sense
Blue Beetle Could Easily Fit Into The DCU
Blue Beetlecame out during a transitional time for DC.The DCU was already announced as a replacement for the “failed” DCEU, with Gunn and Safran taking the reins.The previous franchise began withMan Of Steel, andBlue Beetlewas the second to last film in the series. However, the movie has very few ties to the DCEU. Other heroes like Batman are mentioned but not shown, so it’s feasible that they could retcon the film so that it was never in the DCEU timeline in the first place. Given how good Maridueña is as Jaime, this course of action makes the most sense.
Blue Beetle 2 Plans Reveal A Way More Terrifying Villain For The DCU Reboot’s First Hero
Blue Beetle’s director reveals his game-changing plans for the hero’s possible DCU sequel, and they include Jaime Reyes rising to a new level.
Blue Beetlecame out at a bad time both for DC and the industry. Not only did it receive little marketing, but the film was part of a franchise audiences knew was ending, and worse yet, it followed the controversial release ofThe Flash. On top of that, an actor’s strike limited the actors' abilities to promote the film.
As such,Blue Beetledidn’t get a fair shot.I’m thrilled DC recognizes this and can’t wait to see the character again. For now, we’ll have to rely on Maridueña’s comments to keep us hyped for more of Jaime: “Now, whereBlue Beetleheads in the future? I don’t know. But I can confidently say that we will see him soon.”
Blue Beetle
Cast
Blue Beetle is a 2023 action film focusing on Jaime Reyes, a recent college graduate who returns home to find his world changed. His life takes a turn when he discovers the Scarab, an ancient alien relic that grants him extraordinary powers, setting him on a new path.
DC Universe
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
