Blue Beetle is still about a year away from release, but one of its chief cast members just dropped a few new details about the movie. Back when she was promoting her film Monarch, Susan Sarandon was asked about her upcoming projects, including Blue Beetle, prompting the actress to share a few new interesting tidbits.
DC's Blue Beetle, which recently wrapped filming, is set to become the first superhero film with a Latino lead. The main character Jaime Reyes, who is depicted as a Texan teenager of Mexican-American descent, is played by Xolo Maridueña, who is of Cuban, Ecuadorian, and Mexican descent. Maridueña is well known for his portrayal of Miguel Diaz in Cobra Kai.
During her interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the host questioned Sarandon on how her summer went. Sarandon reacted positively, stating that she had been busy filming quite a few projects. Fallon pointed out that included Blue Beetle, which prompted Sarandon to comment on how happy she was to be part of the film, which she felt was historic for its representational qualities. She explained that she also relished her turn as the villain of Blue Beetle, saying, “there’s nothing better than being bad.”
Sarandon also discussed the cultural authenticity the film was going for, which included many actors of Mexican descent being cast, including George Lopez. Interestingly, she also stated that the film would be in Spanish with English subtitles. Describing her role as being the “white military-industrial complex,” Sarandon further revealed that her villain would embody a force of oppression.
Though Sarandon stated that the film would be in Spanish with English subtitles, it’s unclear how much of the movie will feature Spanish dialogue. Jaime Reyes, in the comics, is bilingual, and as the film takes place in Texas, so there are likely to be quite a few English-speaking characters, such as Sarandon’s military industrialist. It’s possible that the Spanish dialogue will mostly happen when Jaime is among his family, but Sarandon's wording implies it will be a big part of the movie.
It’s good to know that the film will strive for comic and cultural authenticity. Latinos have long been an underrepresented demographic in film. Despite making up the population of more than 60% of California, the center of film development in America, Latinos still feature very little in most media. Blue Beetle marks an important milestone, and it’s a good sign that the production aims to depict an accurate portrayal of Latin life in America.
Blue Beetle will release in theaters on August 18, 2023.