Actor Xolo Maridueña will reprise his superhero role as Blue Beetle in the upcoming film Superman: Man of Tomorrow, following a surprise telephone call from filmmaker James Gunn.
Maridueña, who played the title character in the standalone Blue Beetle movie, said he had never expected to return to the part before Gunn contacted him to confirm his appearance in the Superman sequel.
The actor was visiting Japan with friends when he received the unexpected news. He noted that nobody knew anything about the project at the time. Maridueña described seeing his telephone ring like a Bat phone with Gunn as the caller.
Because his friends were looking at him, the actor had to leave the room to take the call. He said he came back and told his group not to tell anyone, but that he was returning to the role.
DC Studios restructuring
Maridueña starred as Jaime Reyes in the Blue Beetle film, which follows a young college graduate who gains superhuman abilities and protective armor when an ancient alien scarab attaches to his body. The character has been a prominent fixture in DC Comics publications for decades, with Reyes being the third person to assume the mantle in the comic books. The actor is also widely recognised for his leading role in the martial arts television series Cobra Kai.
Gunn is a director and writer who was appointed to lead DC Studios alongside producer Peter Safran. He has directed several major comic book adaptations and is currently overseeing a restructured slate of interconnected DC films and television shows.
Superman, the iconic Kryptonian superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster in the 1930s, serves as a cornerstone character for the entertainment brand. The character was previously played by Henry Cavill in earlier franchise iterations before the studio decided to relaunch the property.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow is scheduled for a worldwide cinematic release on July 9, 2027.
