Blue Beetle star Xolo Mariduena thinks the movie will showcase a new role for Latino actors. DC Comics is betting big on Jaime Reyes next year with this massive movie hitting the big screen. The Hollywood Reporter spoke to the Cobra Kai star about getting to put on that suit. Over the course of the conversation, the idea of being a hero in a representative capacity came up. Sure, lots of kids love Blue Beetle, but the role could end up meaning a lot for Latino viewers. (Recall the groundswell of support surrounding Black Panther and Shang-Chi when those two projects debuted.) Mariduena is thinking the same thing. The environment surrounding Blue Beetle was so supportive and that went a long way to helping tell the story that they wanted to tell. Getting diverse perspectives on-screen is something that HBO Max and Warner Bros. Discovery is going to need going forward.
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“Everyone was so welcoming and instilled so much confidence in me through the filming of the movie. It just comes back to the thing that I was saying earlier: Blue Beetle isn’t to make me the next heartthrob or biggest star,” he said. “It’s just to show people, “Hey, these stories about Latinos don’t have to just be about narcos or crossing the border or being a gang member. You can be portrayed in a positive light.” A superhero seems like the most positive light you can get in this industry.”
In a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the star explained how this depiction of Latino life could break barriers for audiences all across the world. It will speak to comic book fans and those who had never heard of the character before now.
“I don’t know how much I can speak on, but what I can speak on is the fact that the thing that is really going to shine in this movie is that the Latino experience is not a monolith,” the actor explained. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all story. Whether you speak zero Spanish or are fluent, you’re not more Latino than someone else. The reality is that you can come from whatever background and at the end of the day you’re all gonna come together for this mission or whatever it is. The familial togetherness is what makes us Latino and the fact that we’re gonna ride for each other, that’s what makes us Latino, not this language. Don’t get me wrong, there’s gonna be Spanish in the movie. We’re gonna speak Spanish; it’s gonna be how it feels at home, but Spanish isn’t the only reason for that.”
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