Xolo Maridueña is excited to share Blue Beetle with the world.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Summary

Xolo Maridueña is excited for people to meet the Blue Beetle character and hopes it provides representation for kids who look like him. Maridueña’s mother played a role in him landing the Blue Beetle role, and he did his research to familiarize himself with the character. The Blue Beetle movie marks Maridueña’s big-screen debut, and there are hints that he will continue to portray the superhero in future DC Universe projects.

Xolo Maridueña was born to be the Blue Beetle. Best known for portraying Miguel Diaz on Cobra Kai, Maridueña is trading in his karate gi for the super-powered suit he receives once being chosen by the scarab. “I’m so excited about people meeting this character for the first time,” Maridueña told Newsweek.

Maridueña continued:

“The thing that I’m most excited about for this movie and for this opportunity is not necessarily for myself to become the biggest star, it’s really for the opportunities for people to feel represented and to feel seen on the biggest screen and on the biggest platform. That’s why I’m so excited for all the kids who are going to be able to see someone who looks like them kicking butt. That’s what I’m excited about.”

Now, flashback to the moment Maridueña found out he’d won the role of Jaime Reyes, aka the Blue Beetle. The actor was having dinner when he found out the news, and Ángel Manuel Soto ended up speaking to Maridueña’s mom. When the filmmaker told her that Maridueña was the only one who could pull off playing the part, she replied, “Of course, he’s the only guy for the role.”

Related: Blue Beetle Review: A Latino Infusion to the DC Universe

Xolo Maridueña Has ‘Ants in his Pants’ From All the Excitement
Warner Bros. Pictures

Blue Beetle star Xolo Maridueña didn’t know much about the superhero from the source material. As it turns out, his mother was more of a comic book reader than him. However, Maridueña was familiar with the character thanks to the second season of Young Justice. After he landed the role, Maridueña went back and did his research. And he can’t wait for cinephiles to meet Blue Beetle. Maridueña said in the same interview:

“I’m so excited for the movie to come out. It’s very ambitious. It was a really big step for me, career wise. I’d never worked on a movie before. But I feel like we really knocked it out of the park. So, at this point, the feeling that I have is a gracious feeling, but also an exhilarating [one]. I got ants in my pants.”

Casual fans know from the trailer that the scarab ultimately selects Jaime Reyes (Maridueña) as its host. But what might not be apparent is that the motives of the device aren’t exactly aligned with those of your typical superhero — quite the contrary.

“He is selected as a host to destroy the world on whichever planet it’s [the scarab] on. And on Earth, it attaches itself to Jaime, but we find that this one maybe isn’t going to destroy the whole world. And because Jaime is the host, he’s going to make sure that that doesn’t happen.”

Blue Beetle marks the big-screen debut of the Cobra Kai star. However, it’s likely not the last time audiences will see Maridueña as the superhero. James Gunn has already anointed the Blue Beetle as a member of his and Peter Safran’s upcoming DC Universe (DCU). And with Cobra Kai preparing to end after its sixth season, Maridueña will have more time to devote to Blue Beetle. Check out the film’s trailer below: