Xolo Maridueña Was Not Sure Blue Beetle Would Ever Come Back, Until James Gunn Called Him About the ‘Superman’ Sequel: ‘The Most Humbled’
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Actor Xolo Maridueña has confirmed that his DC superhero character Blue Beetle will return, revealing he only learned of his comeback when DC Studios co-head James Gunn phoned him personally to invite him into "Superman: Man of Tomorrow." Speaking on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of "Practical Magic 2," Maridueña said he had been uncertain the character would return after his 2023 solo film, and described feeling "humbled" that the DC team had "folded" him back into the shared universe, noting how unpredictable casting decisions in the industry can be.
Maridueña recalled taking the unexpected call while in Japan with friends, likening it to receiving "the Bat-phone" before stepping away to hear the news in private. "Man of Tomorrow," the sequel to 2025's "Superman," will see the title character team up with nemesis Lex Luthor to battle the cosmic villain Brainiac, with David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult reprising their roles alongside a cast including Milly Alcock, Nathan Fillion and Aaron Pierre. In the same interview, Maridueña also spoke about working alongside Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman on "Practical Magic 2," out 11 September, saying the experience left him keeping a detailed journal of what he learned from the veteran actors.
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In short
- Xolo Maridueña confirms Blue Beetle's return via James Gunn's personal call
- He'll appear in "Superman: Man of Tomorrow" alongside Corenswet, Hoult
- Maridueña also discussed filming "Practical Magic 2" with Bullock, Kidman
How this story developed
- 2 months ago 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 invite him into "Superman: Man of Tomorrow." Speaking on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of "Practical Magic 2," Maridueña recalled taking the unexpected call while in Japan with friends, joking he had to step away like receiving "the Bat-phone," and said he felt "humbled" that the DC team had "folded" him back into the shared universe given how unpredictable casting decisions can be.
- 2 months ago 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.
- 2 months ago Actor Xolo Maridueña has confirmed that his DC superhero character Blue Beetle will return, revealing he only learned of his comeback when DC Studios co-head James Gunn phoned him personally to invite him into "Superman: Man of Tomorrow." Speaking on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of "Practical Magic 2," Maridueña said he had been uncertain the character would return after his 2023 solo film, and described feeling "humbled" that the DC team had "folded" him back into the shared universe, noting how unpredictable casting decisions in the industry can be.
Explained simply
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.