DC fans got a pretty pleasant surprise on Wednesday, when the first set photos from Warner Bros.’ Blue Beetle movie made their way online. The photos provided the long-awaited first look at Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle, complete with a pretty stellar comic-accurate superhero suit. The photos and the costume have already become a bonafide hit with fans online, and now Jaime co-creator Cully Hamner is reacting to them — and revealing a surprising connection along the way. In a series of tweets, Hamner revealed that he has “indeed” seen the costume, complete with a winking emoji. He also revealed that one of the crew members who can be seen behind Maridueña in the set photos is actually his old roommate, and was his model for the character of Paco, Jaime’s best friend in the comics.
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“All I can think about is how exciting it’s going to be,” Maridueña previously said of wearing the costume. “It’s going to touch on a lot of things that haven’t been touched on before in superhero movies…. I haven’t had the chance to put on the suit yet or anything like that. Once it happens, it’ll feel real.”
The Blue Beetle film will follow Jaime, who in the comics is the third character to take on the role of Blue Beetle following the death of Ted Kord. The cast will also include Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord, Bruna Marquezine as Penny, Belissa Escobedo, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carillo, and Damián Alcázar as members of Jaime’s family, and Harvey Guillen in a currently-unknown role.
Created by Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Hamner, Jaime’s tenure significantly changed the Blue Beetle lore, revealing that the Egyptian scarab that gives the hero powers is actually alien in origin, and provided a sort of extraterrestrial suit of armor. Eventually, Jaime would go on to serve as a member of the Justice League, Justice League International, Teen Titans, Young Justice, and Secret Six.
“This is really gonna be a stepping stone in my life,” Maridueña shared in an interview earlier this year. “I’ve gotten the chance to build chemistry with these people over the years on Cobra Kai. To try to recreate that chemistry in a much shorter amount of time is gonna be difficult, but all of these guys are professionals. I know that I’m in the hands of people who are the best at what they do. The opportunity at Cobra Kai has really blessed me; I can do stunts, we can do crazy stuff. Adding this new level of green screen and suits and CGI and all of this will add a whole new crazy level to it that I’m so excited for.”
Are you excited for DC’s Blue Beetle movie? What do you think of these set photos? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Blue Beetle is set to be released in theaters on August 18, 2023.
