Xolo Maridueña Was Not Sure Blue Beetle Would Ever Come Back, Until James Gunn Called Him About the ‘Superman’ Sequel: ‘The Most Humbled’
Actor Xolo Maridueña has revealed he was uncertain whether his DC superhero character Blue Beetle would return to the screen after his 2023 solo film, until DC Studios co-head James Gunn personally called to bring him into "Superman: Man of Tomorrow." Speaking on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of "Practical Magic 2," Maridueña described the call as unexpected, saying he had to step away from friends in Japan to take it, and expressed feeling humbled that the DC team chose to include him given how uncertain casting decisions can be.
"Man of Tomorrow," the sequel to 2025's "Superman," will see the title character team up with nemesis Lex Luthor to combat the villain Brainiac, with David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult reprising their roles alongside a cast including Milly Alcock, Nathan Fillion and Isabela Merced. Maridueña also spoke about working alongside Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman on "Practical Magic 2," directed by Susanne Bier, which is due in cinemas on 11 September and also stars Joey King, Maisie Williams and Lee Pace.
- Xolo Maridueña confirms Blue Beetle's return in "Superman: Man of Tomorrow"
- James Gunn personally called him to rejoin the DC universe
- "Man of Tomorrow" pits Superman and Lex Luthor against Brainiac
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Xolo Maridueña first came to attention playing gang member turned superhero Jaime Reyes in 2023's "Blue Beetle", part of DC's screen universe. Since then, that universe has been rebuilt under James Gunn and Peter Safran, who now run DC Studios and decide which characters and actors continue on screen. Their first major release under this new approach was 2025's "Superman", starring David Corenswet.
That film is getting a follow-up, "Superman: Man of Tomorrow", which brings back Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as villain Lex Luthor, now working together against a new threat called Brainiac. Maridueña's involvement in this sequel matters because it signals that Blue Beetle, whose future had seemed uncertain, remains part of DC's ongoing plans rather than being a one-off film.
The wider context is that DC Studios has faced scrutiny over which characters and actors it keeps from earlier films as it builds a new, interconnected slate of movies and shows. Decisions like this one are watched closely by fans and industry observers as indicators of the studio's direction.