Director Angel Manuel Soto Praises Xolo Maridueña as DCEU’s Blue Beetle

In a recent interview, Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Soto expressed his admiration for Xolo Maridueña and his future in the DC Universe. Soto, who sat down with CinemaBlend to discuss the upcoming physical release of Blue Beetle on October 31, revealed that he always saw Maridueña as a standout talent, affirming that the actor portraying the titular superhero was destined for stardom.

“Xolo is a star. I knew it from the beginning. Everybody jumped into it, and he stepped up to the plate, and he led the film,” Soto explained during the conversation. “He has so much heart, and the fact that all of that charisma, all of that personality, all of that backstory that forms the Reyes (family) … because this film very well could be a prologue or a first act to this character.”

Despite its critical acclaim, Blue Beetle faced challenges at the box office during its theatrical run. With a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 78 percent, the film concluded its cinematic journey with a global box office collection of $128.6 million, making it the least financially successful installment in the DCEU. This has been a challenging year overall for Warner Bros’ DCEU franchise, with Shazam! Fury of the Gods ($133.8M) and The Flash ($270.6M) also falling short of box office expectations.

All eyes are now on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, as fans and industry observers are eager to see if it can replicate the phenomenal success of 2018’s Aquaman, which currently stands as the highest-grossing DC film of all time.