In 2023, Xolo Maridueña made his DCU debut in Blue Beetle, where he played Jamie Reyes, aka Blue Beetle. And while this young superhero isn’t making a return to the big screen just yet, he will star in his own animated series that’s currently in production with Warner Bros. Animation. While the show has yet to announce an official release date, the Cobra Kai star sees the potential for this show’s place in James Gunn‘s DC Universe.
In an interview with ScreenRant, Maridueña shared his thoughts about Blue Beetle‘s place in the DCU. According to the actor, since he has already played the role in live-action, he’s excited to explore more of the character and see where he fits in this overarching superhero universe. Additionally, he cited that Blue Beetle’s potential could draw inspiration from other successful animated shows, and that he’s keen to see more of this superhero’s story in a brand-new visual format.
“The universe is cracked open. Pandora’s Box is open, for lack of a better word! I love the animation medium. I love getting to continue to explore and try my best to fit this character. Having already done Blue Beetle, I know the character and know the voice now. I’m excited to see him in the actual format of animation, and to see what stories we can tell that we can’t tell in live-action. Some of my [favorite stories are] Avatar: the Last Airbender, Young Justice, and the Studio Ghibli stuff. I think there’s so much that the creatives are pulling from, and I’m excited to see how Blue Beetle fits in.”
The 2023 Blue Beetle movie tells the origin story of Jaime Reyes (Maridueña), who fuses with the Scarab and becomes the Blue Beetle. This DC feature was fairly praised by fans and critics alike, generating a 78% Certified Fresh critics score and a 90% Verified Hot audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Additionally, it generated over $130 million at the global box office, generating less than Shazam! Fury of the Gods by $4 million.
How is the ‘Blue Beetle’ Connected to James Gunn’s DCU
Blue Beetle is the second last film in the DCEU lineup, and for a while, this superhero film’s place in the DCU was in an unusual position as Gunn had started working on his DCU reboot. In 2023, Gunn revealed to Gizmodo that Blue Beetle could be part of the DCU. However, DC Studio‘s co-chair later clarified that “nothing is canon” until Creature Commandos and Superman are released, but confirmed Maridueña will continue to play the superhero in future projects, according to Deadline.
The Blue Beetle animated series currently has only a few confirmed names attached. Miguel Puga, known for his work on The Loud House, serves as showrunner. At the same time, Cristian Martinez (Ironheart) is listed as head screenwriter. So far, Maridueña is the only officially announced cast member.
The Blue Beetle animated series has yet to announce its release date. In the meantime, you can stream Blue Beetle on Max.
via Collider