Behind-the-scenes photos for the upcoming DC Extended Universe project Blue Beetle were just released, and among them was a shot of lead Xolo Maridueña rocking the hero’s iconic armor.
In shots shared by Just Jared, Maridueña can be seen here in shots with and without the mask, stunting and just relaxing, all while basking in the spunky blue glow of Blue Beetle’s suit.
Maridueña is chiefly known for his main role in the Netflix series Cobra Kai as Miguel Diaz, the neighbor to Johnny Lawrence, who also acts as a father figure to Diaz. He also had a voice role in The Boys: Diabolical episode “An Animated Short Where Pissed-Off Supes Kill Their Parents” as Aqua Agua. Blue Beetle will be Maridueña’s first film role, having only done television roles up to now.
Also among the cast is Bruna Marquezine, Susan Sarandon, and Raoul Trujillo as villain Carapax the Indestructible Man.
Directing the film will be Angel Manuel Soto, who last directed the drama film Charm City Kings. He’s also set to direct an untitled Transformers franchise film, which at the time of writing has no details regarding its release date.
Though the character has been around since 1939, when he appeared in the first issue of Mystery Men Comics, the DCEU film is set to focus on the rendition from 2006, about a young Hispanic boy named Jaime Reyes who discovers an alien scarab and eventually merges with it, granting him the mantle of Blue Beetle.
Blue Beetle is set to be released to theaters in the United States on Aug. 18, 2023.