“I’m so excited for everyone to see it,” he says.
“I’ll be right there at the theater with you!”
After all, Mariduena has good reason to be hyped.
Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes in ‘Blue Beetle’.Warner Bros. Pictures
WhenBlue Beetlehits theaters, it won’t just be his superhero debut; it’s his first major filmever.
Originally,Blue Beetlewas set to debut on streaming service HBO Max, before shifting to a theatrical release.
“It was like winning the lottery twice, quite frankly,” Mariduena says with a laugh.
Xolo Maridueña in ‘Blue Beetle’.Warner Bros. Pictures
“I was already astounded.
Mariduena speaks with EW about suiting up as a first-time superhero and the inspiration he got from hisCobra Kaicostars.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Take me back to the first time you tried on the Blue Beetle costume.
What was that like?
XOLO MARIDUENA: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.
You’ve talked about wanting to center this movie not just around Jaime Reyes but his family, too.
Why was that important to you?
I think it helps keep the story so honest and truthful from the get-go.
It’s a journey the whole family can take together.
Honestly, that’s something I related to.
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?
We wanted to bring that experience to a worldwide scale.
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.
Did you brush up on your sword skills?
It’s funny that you mentioned the anime sword!
Jaime is a 22-year-old kid.
Not only the cast, but the crew, too; they made everyone feel like they belonged.
Actually, I think what surprised me the most was reading the script before filming the movie.
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 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.
I want to do 12 more years ofBlue Beetle.
Have you talked to the new DC headsJames Gunnand Peter Safran about any future plans for this character?
Yeah, I have had the chance to speak with them.
But my heart is already so fulfilled with this movie.
I can be a hero, too.”
Blue Beetleopens in theaters Aug. 18.
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