Blue Beetle star Xolo Maridueña has confirmed that DC fans can expect to see some familiar faces in the upcoming film.
During an interview with TheWrap, Maridueña teased a few surprise cameos from across the DC Universe. “I think if you’re a DC fan, there’s going to be more than just one character that you recognize,” the actor said. “I can tell you that.” Notably, Blue Beetle’s first official trailer already name-drops Batman. Even so, it remains to be seen what well-known DC characters — apart from Blue Beetle himself — will appear in the film.
Blue Beetle’s place in the DC Universe
Blue Beetle was originally expected to be part of the DC Extended Universe. However, that franchise is now all but defunct, and will be replaced by James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU. While Blue Beetle was green-lit and produced prior to the Gunn-Safran regime, it also follows The Flash — a film that effectively pressed the reset button on the DCEU, paving the way for the DCU reboot. To that end, Gunn has described Maridueña’s Blue Beetle as being the “first DCU character.” However, Gunn’s upcoming feature Superman: Legacy is still the “first full DCU movie.”
Blue Beetle is directed by Angel Manuel Soto from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. The film stars Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, the third and most recent character to assume the mantle of Blue Beetle in the comics. It tells Jaime’s origin story, with the recent college grad being chosen as a host by the alien Scarab, thus granting him powers he must learn to control.
When the film hits theaters this August, Maridueña will be the first Latino actor to play the solo lead of a major superhero film. Additional cast members include Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez.
Blue Beetle opens in theaters on Aug. 18.
