‘Blue Beetle’ hits theaters Friday

On Friday, August 18, DC Films’ Blue Beetle takes flight in theaters.

Cobra Kai‘s Xolo Maridueña plays Jaime Reyes, an everyday teenager who finds himself the recipient of an alien scarab that gives him super abilities and an Iron Man-like exoskeleton.

DC’s first Latino superhero has seen his origin story buoyed by positive early word of mouth, with praise for director Angel Manuel Soto‘s leaning into the family aspect of his primarily Latino cast.

Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar and Belissa Escobedo play Jaime’s grandma, mom, dad and wise-cracking younger sister, respectively, while George Lopez scores laughs as his conspiracy theory-loving uncle Rudy.

Latino actors also make up the supporting cast, including Bruna Marquezine, What We Do in the Shadows‘ Harvey Guillen, and Raoul Max Trujillo, who plays Conrad Carapax, aka Carapax the Indestructible Man.

Speaking to ABC Audio before the SAG-AFTRA strike, Lopez noted the significance of the Latino representation.

“I’m humbled by the fact that I would be able to be in this,” he said. “But also I’m honored in the fact that we all got to do it together.”

Lopez also explained how the MCU’s James Rhodes/War Machine welcomed him into the superhero business, sharing, “I was playing golf with Don Cheadle … and he was talking about how they might go to Australia [to shoot future projects]. They might stay in London …”

He continued, “So I’m driving home … and I say to myself, ‘What do you have to do to get a franchise movie?'”

A smiling Lopez recalled, “A month later, the call for … Blue Beetle came in and I was golfing with Don … and I put Don on the phone with Angel … And I said, ‘Well … lemme bring War Machine in here, too!'”