Blue Beetle may have found its lead, with Cobra Kai breakout star Xolo Maridueña reportedly in talks to play Jaime Reyes.
According to The Wrap, the 20-year-old actor, who plays Miguel Diaz on Netflix's mega-popular Karate Kid spinoff show, has entered negotiations to step into the role of the young hero. The DCEU has featured a few prominent Latino characters in the past, but this marks the first time a standalone movie will spotlight a Latino lead.
Angel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) is set to direct the film, which will debut exclusively on the HBO Max streaming service. Scarface reboot scribe Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer has been tapped to write the script, while Zev Foreman is on board as executive producer.
Reyes was introduced back in 2006's Infinite Crisis, and is the third character to take up the mantle of Blue Beetle after after Dan Garret and Ted Kord - although he's arguably eclipsed both in popularity since. Though there may be some purists that would have preferred to see Kord introduced first, this is a smart move by WB. The new teenage take on Spider-Man has been a huge success for Marvel, after all, and the DC Films Universe doesn't currently have a character that will appeal more to a slightly younger demographic on its roster.
Blue Beetle hasn't been given an official premiere date yet.