Xolo Maridueña is set to return as Jaime Reyes aka the Blue Beetle in James Gunn’s “Man of Tomorrow,” TheWrap has learned.
The film is currently in production and will act as the character’s reintroduction into the DCU.
Gunn previously said that Blue Beetle is the DCU’s first character. “I mean the first DCU character, for sure, is Blue Beetle, and the first full DCU movie is Superman,” Gunn said on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast.”
Released theatrically in August 2023 under the previous DC regime, “Blue Beetle” starred Maridueña as Mexican American teenager Jaime Reyes, a recent college grad who became host to an ancient alien scarab that transformed him into the DC Superhero. The film was directed by “The Wrecking Crew” director Angel Manuel Soto.
Despite generally positive reviews and strong turnout from Latino audiences, the film grossed $130.8 million worldwide. It later found new life on streaming, becoming one of the most watched films on HBO MAX after its release there.
In his review of the film, TheWrap’s William Bibbiani called the film “a delightful and satisfying superhero origin story if I’ve ever seen one. Tucked safely away from most of the cinematic universe shenanigans, ‘Blue Beetle’ is a self-contained and smartly crafted film that ranks among the DCEU’s very best.”
Maridueña previously said that “Blue Beetle” is a combination of both a DC and Marvel superhero.
“He’s kind of like a fusion of Green Lantern and Iron Man,” Maridueña said. “He has a scarab from outer space that is attached to his body called Khaji da.”
A rep for DC Studios couldn’t be reached for comment.