Xolo Maridueña hopes to play Blue Beetle for a long time: 'I want to do 12 more years'
If you buy a ticket to see Blue Beetle at your local multiplex, check the seat next to you: You might just be sitting next to Xolo Maridueña.
When EW spoke with DC's newest superhero in mid July, before the SAG-AFTRA strike began, the 22-year-old actor was literally counting down the days until the opening of Blue Beetle on Aug. 18. "I'm so excited for everyone to see it," he says. "I'll be right there at the theater with you!" After all, Maridueña has good reason to be hyped.
When Blue Beetle hits theaters, it won't just be his superhero debut; it's his first major film ever. The young actor has already built an impressive resume on shows like Cobra Kai and Parenthood, but now, he's joining the sprawling DC universe, playing young hero Jaime Reyes. It's the first DC film to center on a Latino hero, and it's the big-screen introduction of Jaime, a comics fan favorite who gains superpowers after encountering the Scarab, a piece of highly evolved alien tech.
Warner Bros. Pictures Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes in 'Blue Beetle'
Originally, Blue Beetle was set to debut on streaming service HBO Max, before shifting to a theatrical release. Now, Maridueña says he can't wait to see the film's Palmera City setting on the biggest screen possible.
"It was like winning the lottery twice, quite frankly," Maridueña says with a laugh. "I was already astounded. Just playing a superhero is a life-changing experience and a life-changing opportunity, and I was already so grateful and so appreciative. But to have DC and the greater Warner Bros. family believe that this story is a worldwide story that deserves to be shown to everybody, it was really welcoming and really reassuring."
Maridueña speaks with EW about suiting up as a first-time superhero and the inspiration he got from his Cobra Kai costars.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Take me back to the first time you tried on the Blue Beetle costume. What was that like?
XOLO MARIDUEÑA: I remember genuinely believing that I was a superhero. [Laughs] It makes your posture different! It was really fantastic. Also, I didn't really know what to expect going into a big superhero movie like this. I didn't know if it was going to be the type where we were going to be on a green screen for four months or what. So, getting to try on the suit for the first time and see that everything was practical, I was so excited.
You've talked about wanting to center this movie not just around Jaime Reyes but his family, too. Why was that important to you?
One of the biggest changes from the superhero movies that I've seen and loved — and granted, I haven't seen all of them — but I love that in our story, Jaime gets his powers for the first time in front of his family. I think it helps keep the story so honest and truthful from the get-go. Hiding from mom and dad that I'm Blue Beetle, once that is out of the question, it's such a fun ride. It's a journey the whole family can take together. Honestly, that's something I related to. A lot of the big milestones in my life — whether they be good or maybe not so good — I crossed them with my family. That's something I'm just so excited to see translated onto the screen.
This film also introduces the new location of Palmera City. What was fun for you about getting to bring that new location to life?
It was definitely a big decision to change the story from El Paso, where all of the Jaime Reyes comics take place, to Palmera City. But the reason we did that is because in a lot of the Jaime comics, a lot of the stories that are being told have themes of what I would deem border-town stories, where we explore what life is like when two cultures mix, and the issues and triumphs that arise. We wanted to bring that experience to a worldwide scale. We thought it might hit hard for people in America and Mexico who understand that Texas kind of narrative, but we wanted the story to really transcend both the Mexican market and the American market. We felt creating Palmera City was the perfect way to do it because it's a metropolis of Latinos. It has the sound of a Miami and the look of a Los Angeles and the style of Barcelona. It really felt like an all-encompassing city because at the end of the day, being Latino isn't a monolith. So, it was exciting to create a new city and really have a place where Jaime feels like he can call home.
Warner Bros. Pictures Xolo Maridueña in 'Blue Beetle'
There's a moment in the trailer where we see Jaime use the suit to create this giant, almost anime-like sword. Did you brush up on your sword skills?
It's funny that you mentioned the anime sword! Because that really is one of my favorite attributes to this superpower, how imagination is really boundless to what Jaime can do. Jaime is a 22-year-old kid. It was a really fun opportunity for us to highlight what it would look like for this kid who grew up on comic books and anime and superhero movies, what would that kid want to make if he could make weapons? But speaking of sword skills, I definitely thought that having six years of martial arts training under my belt would prepare me well for this movie. But honestly, I was doing a lot of things for the first time that I hadn't done before, primarily with wire work and whatnot. So, that was a really fun experience, to get to work with people at the highest level of their craft. I worked with some of the best martial artists in the game on Cobra Kai, and to get to work with different stunt people who are equally good at their craft, it was the best.
I know you essentially went straight from Cobra Kai to filming Blue Beetle. Is there something you learned from that show that you found really helpful as you started to think about Blue Beetle?
One-hundred percent. Both William Zabka and Ralph Macchio displayed what it means to be number one on the call sheet, with the way they carried themselves and the way they interacted with everyone. Not only the cast, but the crew, too; they made everyone feel like they belonged. I was affected by it, and it made me confident in being an actor and as a kid who was a little nervous as to what this world was like. So, when it finally came down to Blue Beetle and it was my turn to be number one on the call sheet, all I wanted to do was make everyone feel like they had made me feel. I wanted to come to set the most prepared and the most exhilarated and ready to receive everyone's love, and vice versa.
Not only are you headlining a major superhero movie, but this is your first major film ever. Was there anything about making this movie that really surprised you or that you weren't expecting?
Actually, I think what surprised me the most was reading the script before filming the movie. This is a Latino character, and I was curious how far we were going to lean into it, what elements we were going to show. How were we going to deliver on that big ask? Honestly, I was just jaw-droppingly blown away. It was a cathartic experience reading the script because I had the realization that my whole upbringing… I mean, every family dinner that was placed on the table, I wasn't calling it Mexican food, right? I was just calling it dinner. I was just calling it food. And I had that same homey feeling [while reading the script]. The family felt natural, even though it wasn't my own family. I could understand every one of the characters and feel that familial love. I was really surprised at how well they were able to capture that. And then, bringing it onto the screen was 10 times better because you've got f---ing George Lopez and Adriana Barraza and Belissa Escobedo, so it was just the most fun filming. I want to do 12 more years of Blue Beetle.
Have you talked to the new DC heads James Gunn and Peter Safran about any future plans for this character?
Yeah, I have had the chance to speak with them. They're really happy for our project and so excited for us to kick off what is to eventually become the next DCU. But with this movie, really what we wanted to highlight was Jaime's story and the Reyes family's story. I'm excited to see what they have in mind and how Blue Beetle and the rest of his family might loop into the rest. But my heart is already so fulfilled with this movie. If we do 20 of these movies and 40 cameos or if it's just this one, what's most exciting to me is the opportunity for people to see it and have little kids everywhere saying, "Oh my gosh, this guy looks like me. I can be a hero, too."
Blue Beetle opens in theaters Aug. 18.
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