While DC fans might be focusing on the movies we’ve got coming up this year like Black Adam and Batgirl, one really exciting project that’s almost flying under the radar is the upcoming Blue Beetle. Featuring comic book fan-favorite Jaime Reyes, this will be the first DCEU outing to feature a Latino superhero, which is cause enough for celebration.
Whatever the production team has planned clearly impressed Warner Bros., as Blue Beetle was originally set to be an HBO Max exclusive and has since been bumped up to a theatrical release heading to the big screen in 2023. With shooting gearing up on director Angel Manuel Soto’s movie, the cast continues to be filled out, with more and more notable names and familiar characters being added all the time.
For those who want to stay up to date with who’s in Blue Beetle, here’s every cast member — and who they’re playing — that has been confirmed so far.
Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle
First of all, Xolo Maridueña is in the lead as the titular teen superhero. In the comics, Jaime Reyes becomes the third Blue Beetle after he accidentally bonds with an alien scarab which provides him with a powerful suit of extraterrestrial armor. The character previously featured on an episode of Smallville, as played by Jaren Brand Bartlett.
Maridueña is, of course, most famous for his role as Miguel Diaz on Netflix smash-hit Cobra Kai, though he’s also an accomplished voice actor, having appeared in the likes of Fast & Furious: Spy Racers, Cleopatra in Space, and The Boys Presents: Diabolical.
Harvey Guillén as TBC
Harvey Guillén made himself one to watch with his breakout turn as Guillermo de la Cruz on FX’s supernatural comedy What We Do in the Shadows, and now his career is expanding onto the big screen. Following his role in upcoming Shrek spinoff Puss in Boots: The Lash Wish, Guillén has likewise joined the cast of Blue Beetle.
Intriguingly, Warner Bros. is keeping a tight lid on who he’ll be playing for the moment. All that’s been said about his part is that it will be a “key role.” This secrecy has got fans wondering if Guillén could be portraying a major character from the comics, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord
Although Sharon Stone was initially in talks for this role, another Hollywood legend ultimately ended up nabbing the part. Thelma & Louise icon Susan Sarandon has been added to the cast as the villain of the film. This is her first time in the superhero movie sphere, although the Oscar-winning actress is no stranger to playing antagonists. Remember her turn as evil witch queen Narissa in Disney’s Enchanted?
Sarandon is set to portray Victoria Kord, an original creation for the DCEU but one with close ties to a key character from the comics. In DC lore, Ted Kord is the second Blue Beetle. This character is believed to be his wife.
Jason Sudeikis as Ted Kord
Technically, this one hasn’t been 100 percent confirmed at the time of writing, but all the signs are pointing to it being accurate. Bill Marinella Casting has shared a call for a role on the film labelled “Ted Stunt Double,” with the accompanying image of the actor playing Ted clearly being an obscured pic of Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis.
It appears that Sudeikis is swapping one character called Ted for another and will be portraying the aforementioned Silver Age Blue Beetle. The beloved actor and comedian’s casting is interesting, to say the least, as his being 29 years younger than Sarandon suggests that Victoria may be Kord’s mother instead of his spouse. Alternatively, Sudeikis’ Kord could appear in flashbacks, with Ted having died prior to the movie’s events.
Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio Reyes
Best known for her role as Anna Gonsalves in both 1987’s Predator — opposite Mr. Freeze himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger — and its 1990 sequel Predator 2, Elpidia Carrillo is on board Blue Beetle as Rocio Reyes, a relative of Jaime’s.
Raoul Max Trujillo as Carapax the Indestructible Man
Mayans M.C. actor Raoul Max Trujillo has been cast in Blue Beetle as the brilliantly named Carapax the Indestructible Man, who’s presumably set to be a secondary antagonist in the film.
In the comics, Conrad Carapax has ties to both Ted Kord and the first Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett. He started out as a crooked archaeologist before he died attempting to steal a powerful robot, only to have his mind transferred into said robot. He then used his new invulnerable form to become a supervillain.
George Lopez as Uncle Rudy Reyes
Veteran comedian, actor, and TV personality George Lopez is one of the most notable additions to the Blue Beetle ensemble cast. Lopez will play Jaime’s uncle Rudy Reyes. We’re fully expecting the star to offer lots of comic relief as the teen hero’s embarrassing tío.
Bruna Marquezine as Penny
What’s a superhero without a love interest? In Blue Beetle, the MJ to Jaime’s Spider-Man will be Penny, as played by Bruna Marquezine. The Brazilian actress has so far only starred in projects from her native nation, like God Save the King and Helena’s Shadow, meaning this will mark her debut Hollywood role.
Adriana Barraza as Nana
Adriana Barraza, who you might known from her turns in such projects as Rambo: Last Blood and Netflix superhero flick We Can Be Heroes, is set to appear in Blue Beetle in the role of Nana. We don’t really need to be a detective of Batman’s caliber to deduce that she’ll be Jaime’s grandmother.
Damián Alcázar as Alberto Reyes
Like Maridueña, Damián Alcázar is most familiar to audiences from a major Netflix show, as the actor is known for playing Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela on Narcos, not to mention its spinoff Narcos: Mexico. In Blue Beetle, Alcázar will portray Alberto Reyes. It’s unclear how he’ll fit into the clan, but he could be Jaime’s great uncle or grandfather.
Belissa Escobedo as Milagro Reyes
As is clear by now, Blue Beetle will put a big emphasis on Jaime’s multi-general Mexican-American family, and here’s another one to add to the family tree. Belissa Escobedo will play Jaime’s younger sister, Milagro. In addition to appearing in two episodes of AHS spinoff series American Horror Stories, Escobedo will also be seen in Disney’s upcoming Hocus Pocus 2.
Blue Beetle is scheduled to crawl into cinemas on August 23, 2023.