Blue Beetle director and star discuss importance of authentic Latino representation in the new DC movie

gamesradar.com:

Blue Beetle is introducing a new, young hero to the DC line-up: Jaime Reyes, played by Cobra Kai's Xolo Maridueña. The first trailer has teased a fun, family-focused adventure, which revolves around Jaime accidentally acquiring a superhero exo-skeleton suit after a mysterious Scarab chooses him.  

Star Maridueña and director Angel Manuel Soto sat down in a press Q&A to talk about the film, the importance of the Reyes family, and Mexican and Latino representation in the movie. 

"One of the things that we really wanted to do with the cast was to be able to be as authentic as we can," Soto says. "We wanted to tap into the three generations – wanted to see the first immigrant family, then when they bring their sons, and then their sons that are born here." 

As Soto explains, the cast members themselves embody this idea. The director points out that Maridueña and Belissa Escobedo, who plays Jaime's sister Milagro, are both Mexican-American, while "national treasure" George Lopez plays Jaime's uncle Rudy, and Elpidia Carrillo plays Jaime's mom Rocio. Soto also name checks Adrianna Barraza and Damián Alcázar, who play Nana and Alberto, as "the best actors from Mexico City," and adds that Harvey Guillén is of Mexican descent, and Raoul Max Trujillo, who plays Carapax, is native Mexican. 

"So being able to keep it as authentic as possible, not the Hallmark, cookie cutter Latinos," he adds. "Something that feels like, 'Yeah, that's my uncle. I can totally relate to those.'"

The Reyes family factor heavily into the trailer – and are even present for the very first step of Jaime's superhero journey. "We see some of these other superheroes who are able to hide from their family the fact that they're a superhero," Maridueña says. "But