Xolo Maridueña wants Blue Beetle to perform well at the box office, and he’s explaining why that’s so important.
The 22-year-old actor opened up to Men’s Health in a new interview.
During the conversation, Xolo talked about his new DC Comics movie, depicting the Latino experience, his training routine, how he landed the role, and what he expects to do next.
Here’s what he had to say…
Keep reading to find out more…
On the importance of Blue Beetle’s success:
“It’s not a lie that if this doesn’t do well, this type of movie isn’t going to happen again for a while. It’s important to open those doors. It’s not just for Blue Beetle—it’s for the tons of other superheroes, and cultures, and stories that we need to tell.”
On Blue Beetle not trying to depict every Latino experience:
“It’s impossible to encapsulate a whole culture in one movie—that’s not really the point. Inherently, because of our writer, [Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer], the characters we’re looking at, the director, [Angel Manuel Soto], and the actors involved, it’ll be Latino.”
On learning he landed his role in Blue Beetle:
“[It] ended up turning into a one-on-eight dinner with everyone from production on Blue Beetle. The director, Angel Manuel Soto, surprised me. He just popped the question right there. I just remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, my mom doesn’t know about this, like nobody [knows].’ I’m like, ‘I know a secret. I know something that other people don’t.’”
On his training routine for Blue Beetle:
“There was an added strength, and an added amount of weight that I needed to put on for the suit and to make sure that my body could handle what it would be like to be in a suit and move around.”
On stepping outside his comfort zone and letting himself be surprised by what comes his way next:
“I could have never imagined Cobra Kai. I could have never seen myself in that role. I’ve never seen myself in a superhero freaking role. I’ve been very blessed to have people around me that see things in me that maybe I don’t. So I’ll stay on the lookout.”
Here’s what critics are saying about Blue Beetle!