Sony's Spider-Man spin-off, El Muerto, is moving forward. The studio announced that Jonás Cuarón would be taking over directing duties on the film.
El Muerto caused a splash when it was announced back in April. Grammy Award winner and Latino musician Bad Bunny was cast as El Meurto as part of Sony's extended Spider-Man universe. Immediately, fans jumped on the announcement with a barrage of memes about the film, which stars an incredibly obscure Marvel character. The announcement arrived in the wake of Morbius' memetic failure at the box office, which only served to fuel fan jokes about an inevitable "El Muerto sweep" at the box office.
According to The Wrap, Sony has tapped Cuarón (son of famed Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón) to direct. Cuarón is known for his writing duties on the 2013 film Gravity and for directing the 2015 film Desierto. Additionally, the studio announced that Mexican writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer would be writing the script for the film. Dunnet-Alcocer is known for writing the Blue Beetle movie for Warner Bros. And DC Films.
El Muerto, the alias of Juan-Carlos Sánchez, has appeared in two issues of Marvel Comics' Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. The character was an inheritor of the title; his father and ancestors had long held the El Muerto name. The name came with a mystical mask that granted the wearer powers of superhuman strength and endurance. He ended up facing Spider-Man in the wrestling ring, where J. Jonah Jameson hoped that El Muerto would best the web-slinger and finally unmask him. The two eventually team up and defeat a villain from El Muerto's past. The character has not been seen since, being only briefly mentioned by Tony Stark during the Civil War arc.
Bad Bunny has reacted happily to the casting. He will be the first Latino lead character in a Marvel film, a feat which is ironic considering El Muerto's brief appearance in the comics. Still, at least it's progress on the representational front for Latin characters. Bad Bunny is a major name in music and while his acting is untested, his presence and the memes surrounding the film may be enough to guarantee a solid box office gross for the movie.
Whatever the case, El Muerto will technically be a landmark film for Marvel. Blue Beetle, the first Latino lead in a DC film and who will be portrayed by actor Xolo Maridueña, will beat El Muerto at being the first Latino superhero on film overall. El Muerto's plot is unknown, and its success remains to be seen, but it will definitely be a project worth looking out for.
El Meurto is scheduled to be released in theaters on January 12, 2024.
Source: The Wrap