Blue Beetle is back!
Xolo Maridueña is set to reprise his role as Blue Beetle in the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
The film is currently in production and will be directed by James Gunn. Maridueña first played the character in the 2023 film Blue Beetle, directed by Ángel Manuel Soto. Maridueña played Jaime Reyes, a recent college graduate who gains superpowers after being captured by an alien scarab.
On Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast, Gunn officially confirmed that Maridueña’s Jaime Reyes is the first character in the rebooted DCU. “The first DCU character was definitely Blue Beetle, and the first full DCU movie was ‘Superman,'” he said when ‘Blue Beetle’ was released. This is a historic role, as Blue Beetle was the first Latinx superhero to star in a standalone film in the DC Universe.
“The only thing on my mind right now is the fact that he’s Latino. I’m so proud to be a part of this project with Angel, who is the kind of person he is,” Maridueña said at the time. “I think it’s very important and I don’t want to stand on my soapbox for too long, but it’s very important to express it.”
To prepare physically, Maridueña bulked up to about 130 pounds and then added 25 to 30 pounds of muscle by lifting weights and doing martial arts. “A lot of it was eating the right amount,” he says. Back in 2023, Gunn and Peter Safran confirmed that Maridueña was committed as Blue Beetle for the foreseeable future and that he would appear in future films.
“What impressed me most was his ability to handle both comedic and emotional material,” Safran told Variety. “He has all the skills.”
Safran explained that the role required dexterity for the “incredibly funny physical comedy” of Jamie learning how to master his new superpowers, as well as depth and weight as the character is driven by a desire to save his family. Maridueña succeeded in both. “It’s clear this is a star-making performance,” Safran added.
Maridueña was excited at the prospect of continuing in the DCU. “Even after making 20 movies, I feel really fulfilled just by making this one,” he said. “If I get to do the next one, I’m so ready. And shit, I’m going to gain another 20 pounds and get even bigger.”
As previously announced, David Corenswet will return as Superman in Man of Tomorrow, written and directed by Gunn. In the sequel, Superman is forced to team up with adversary Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) to defeat an even greater threat: superintelligent adversary Brainiac (Lars Eidinger).
“Man of Tomorrow” is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 9, 2027.
