Blue Beetle Star Xolo Maridueña Teases DC Cameos

By Cameron Bonomolo

There are faces both familiar and new in Blue Beetle. In theaters August 18th, the DC movie follows recent college grad Jaime Reyes (Cobra Kai's Xolo Maridueña), a Gotham City transplant who becomes the Blue Beetle when an ancient relic of alien biotechnology chooses him as its symbiotic host. The first trailer name-dropped Batman, but according to Maridueña, there will be more than just references to other DC universe superheroes. Here's what Maridueña had to say on the pink carpet at the Barbie premiere: 

"I think if you're a DC fan, there's going to be more than just one character that you recognize," Maridueña told TheWrap. "I can tell you that." (What Maridueña can't tell you is which characters might appear.)

Superman (Henry Cavill) showed up for a showdown with Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson) in the Black Adam credits scene. Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) popped up in Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash, the latter featuring surprise cameos by superheroes from across the DC multiverse — including George Clooney's Batman.

The Blue Beetle trailer seemed to reference Ben Affleck's Dark Knight, but according to director Angel Manuel Soto, the film is set within Peter Safran and James Gunn's new DC Universe rather than the DC Extended Universe (which will wind down with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom this December).

"We are part of the universe, we are part of the world, we are part of the plans that they have been creating for the future installments of the DCU," Soto told Total Film magazine. "But we are not tied to all the films from the past. Yes, our movie lives in the world where superheroes exist. But that doesn't mean that a certain event, or certain alliance, or certain things from the past dictate where our film is going."

Gunn, who serves as co-chairman and CEO of DC Studios with Safran, has described Maridueña's Blue Beetle as "the first DCU character," while Gunn's Superman: Legacy — slated for release in July 2025 — is "the first DCU movie."

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Maridueña leads a cast that includes Adriana Barraza (Rambo: Last Blood) as Jaime's grandmother, Nana; Damían Alcázar (Narcos) as his father, Alberto; Elpidia Carrillo (Mayans M.C.) as his mother, Bianca; Belissa Escobedo (Hocus Pocus 2) as his sister, Milagro; George Lopez (The George Lopez Show) as Jaime's Uncle Rudy; and Bruna Marquezine (God Save the King) as Jenny Kord. Blue Beetle also stars Raoul Max Trujillo (Sicario) as the villain Carapax, the indestructible man, Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows) as Dr. Sanchez, and Susan Sarandon (Monarch) as Victoria Kord, who in the comics is the CEO sister of Ted Kord. 

DC's Blue Beetle opens in theaters August 18th.

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