DC and Marvel produced 89 live-action comic book movies between 2000 and 2023, and one of these studios just realized it should probably get around to casting a member of the country’s second-largest ethnic group as a lead actor.
Blue Beetle, starring a largely Latino cast including George Lopez, Bruna Marquezine, Harvey Guillén, Raoul Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, and Xolo Maridueña as protagonist Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle, premiered in theaters on August 18th—82 years after the first comic book movie was released, but who’s counting?
Seeking to combo break a string of flops mostly starring square-jawed white people, DC Studios greenlit Blue Beetle as part of efforts to revamp its dour DC Extended Universe (DCEU) into a brighter, slightly browner DC Universe (DCU). After grossing $42.4 on its opening weekend and scoring 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, Blue Beetle might be on its way to doing just that.
The movie’s premise involves an alien relic that fuses into Jaime’s body, providing him with a practically indestructible exoskeleton and unpredictable powers. We wish Xolo and the entire cast tremendous success as they top the box office. This is yet another movie hit showing that Latino stories are relevant to all communities. Note to Hollywood: nuestra gente would really rather not wait a couple more generations before seeing ourselves centered in a comic book movie.
