Fans all say the same thing about Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle comeback in Man of Tomorrow

Big bit of casting news for the DC Universe today – and the internet’s already bickering about it, which I suppose is what passes for tradition now. Xolo Maridueña, who you’ll know as Jaime Reyes from Blue Beetle, is officially back for James Gunn’s next DC film, Man of Tomorrow. And, in the grand tradition of superhero fandom, folks can’t quite agree if they’re excited or utterly nonplussed.

The Blue Beetle’s Back (Again)

So James Gunn is deep into building his own DCU, and it turns out Jaime Reyes will be the first proper holdover from the previous era. Gunn actually spelled it out on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast, saying:

"I mean the first DCU character, for sure, is Blue Beetle, and the first full DCU movie is 'Superman.'"

To clarify: yes, Blue Beetle the film dropped back in August 2023, flung out under the dying days of the last DC regime. Xolo Maridueña played Jaime, a Mexican American graduate who gets attached (literally – sci-fi scarab, you know the drill) to some alien tech called Khaji Da. Angel Manuel Soto directed, and while nobody’s pretending it broke the box office, it did all right – $130.8 million globally, which in superhero money is somewhere between 'decent' and 'shouldn’t get you fired'. Latin American audiences turned out in force, too. On streaming, it became one of HBO Max’s top pulls.

A Bit of a Hybrid Hero

Maridueña’s own description of the character sums it up best – he basically called Jaime a mix between Green Lantern and Iron Man. He’s your everyday bloke handed a cosmic bug and a whole lot of techy baggage. No need to oversell there.

Fans Doing What Fans Do

Naturally, the internet’s got opinions. Quite a few, actually, and not many line up. Here’s roughly how the battlefield looks:

• Some are chuffed Jaime’s sticking around, saying Gunn’s at least trying something fresh with B-list characters and not just throwing in more Batmen.
• Others reckon Man of Tomorrow will just end up as another "everyone gets a cameo" mess instead of a proper Superman showcase.
• Plenty are side-eyeing Gunn’s entire plan for the DCU, voicing that lovely internet suspicion that everything will be yet another franchise misfire.
• You’ve got people outright admitting they’ve never heard of Blue Beetle. New territory, at least.

Here’s a taste of the online grumbling and confusion:

"So it’s gonna be another cameo/ensemble film. Not a Superman film" – @Lockster92

"What is a blue beetle? Never heard of it? Hope it’s interesting!" – @AliBri867

"Gunn is throwing all his eggs in a basket hoping something lands, this reeks of a stinker" – @DoesItSoundLike

For balance, another comment points out Gunn’s at least not under pressure to copy Marvel’s grand plan anymore, which you could see as hope or as the wild west of superhero movies – depends on your mood.

What’s Next for Jaime Reyes?

Blue Beetle’s reappearance in Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow is shaping up to be his official introduction in the current DCU. The studio’s not commenting on any of this, as you’d expect, so fans are left to stew.