We’re over a year out from the debut of the Blue Beetle movie, but we’re already getting some pretty significant updates regarding the upcoming DC film. The project will star Cobra Kai‘s Xolo Maridueña as the titular superhero Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle, and there’s definitely been a lot of eagerness surrounding seeing him play the character. On Wednesday, fans finally got their first look at Maridueña in costume, thanks to a series of recently-released photos from the film’s set. If that wasn’t enough, a new video has surfaced online (via Daily Mail UK) that showcases the costume in action, as well as an epic look at the scarab on the back of the suit.
“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.”
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The Blue Beetle film will follow Jaime, who in the comics is a teenage superhero from El Paso, Texas who becomes fused to an alien scarab and gains superpowers. He 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 Cully 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 this set video? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Blue Beetle is set to be released in theaters on August 18, 2023.