George Lopez and several more board DC’s ‘Blue Beetle’ movie

Blue Beetle has risen up the ranks to become one of the most exciting upcoming DC projects. Originally envisioned as a HBO Max exclusive, the movie clearly impressed Warner Bros. execs enough to get bumped up to a theatrical release, with it now headed to the big screen in 2023. Cobra Kai‘s Xolo Maridueña is set to make his leading man debut as the titular teen crimefighter, Jaime Reyes, the franchise’s first Latino superhero.

And joining Maridueña in the production are a host of new stars. The Wrap has revealed that four fresh additions have been made to Blue Beetle‘s cast, including actor, comedian, and TV personality George Lopez. Oscar-nominee Adriana Barraza (Dora and the Lost City of Gold), Elpidia Carrillo (Predator), and Damián Alcázar (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian) have likewise signed up to appear.

All four actors will play members of the Reyes family, with Lopez attached as Uncle Rudy, Barraza as Nana, Carrillo as Rocio and Alcázar as Alberto. Director Angel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) told The Wrap that he was determined to cast Mexican performers in these roles as “it was very important for me to have the elders in the family to be from Mexico.”

“And more than just being from Mexico is honoring those amazing beloved actors from Mexico that have paved the way not just in Latin American cinema, but also crossing over to the Anglo Saxon community and Latin American community in the United States,” Soto explained. “Being able to provide a Mexican family, a brown Mexican family, that embraces that level of authenticity, I think this cast allowed us to have all of that.”

Blue Beetle also features Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine and What We Do in the Shadows breakout Harvey Guillén in undisclosed but key roles. Plot details are thin on the ground at the moment, but we have an idea what to expect thanks to Jaime’s history in the comics. The third person to take on the mantle of Blue Beetle, Jaime becomes a superhero when he bonds with an alien scarab that supplies him with a powerful suit of armor.

From a script by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (Miss Bala), Blue Beetle is expected to crawl into cinemas on Aug. 18, 2023.