Warner Bros. has found the actor that will take on the role of Jaime Reyes in its upcoming Blue Beetle movie for HBO Max.
Xolo Mariduena, probably best known for playing Miguel Diaz in Netflix's Cobra Kai, has been tapped to play Jaime Reyes. He will be joining Angel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) who has been tapped to direct the upcoming film.
According to a report from the red carpet premiere of The Suicide Squad on Monday night, Mariduena was informed of the decision on Sunday night while out to dinner with Soto.
The first two incarnations of Blue Beetle were crimefighters that relied on various gadgets. The second version was a Charlton Comics character that was eventually purchased by DC Comics and served as the inspiration for the Nite Owl character in the Watchmen series. The Reyes version differs significantly from those versions as he gains his powers from an alien scarab he bonded with that encases him in a suit of armor.
Reyes became a staple of the Young Justice series and has also appeared in other animated fare such as Batman: The Brave and the Bold, DC Super Hero Girls, and Justice League Action. He has also had one other brush with a live-action incarnation appearing in an episode of the tenth season of Smallville.
Production on Blue Beetle is currently scheduled to begin in the fall with a script from Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (Miss Bala), and Zev Foreman serving as executive producer.
