- Primary Subject: Xolo Maridueña's return as Blue Beetle in the DCU
- Key Update: Xolo Maridueña officially broke his silence on returning as Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle) in James Gunn's upcoming Man of Tomorrow after receiving a surprise call from the DC Studios co-CEO.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: September 1, 2026
- Quick Answer: Yes, Xolo Maridueña is officially reprising his role as Blue Beetle in James Gunn's Man of Tomorrow before headlining his own animated DCU series.
As the future of DC's live-action cinematic universe takes shape, one fan-favorite hero is officially making the jump into James Gunn's new timeline.
After months of speculation surrounding which actors would survive the transition into the rebooted DCU, exciting new updates have confirmed that Palmera City's resident protector isn't done fighting the good fight just yet.
Xolo Maridueña Confirms Blue Beetle's Big-Screen Comeback in Man of Tomorrow
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Xolo Maridueña has officially confirmed that he will suit up once again as Jaime Reyes in the upcoming DCU feature, Man of Tomorrow.
Speaking on his return, the Cobra Kai star revealed that he initially believed his live-action run came to an end after his 2023 debut, only to receive a direct call from DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, who officially asked him to return for the Superman sequel.
"I was in Japan with my friends; nobody knew anything," Maridueña recalled in an interview with Variety on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of Practical Magic 2, "And I just see, like the Bat-phone, my phone rings [and it's] James Gunn."
Maridueña added, "I was like, 'Off the record, don't tell anyone, but we're coming back,' and I'm so excited for people to see where Blue Beetle ends up."
The Smurfs star explained he was initially unsure he'd ever suit up as Blue Beetle again, only to feel "humbled" by the opportunity to come back to the DCU.
"There's never a guarantee with anything, bro," he said, “I mean, you know this, stuff flips on a dime, and I know that it’s not always like a merit-based system. So there’s so much that’s out of my control, but I am just the most humbled of James and the greater DC team for folding us in, Indiana Jones style.”
Will There Be a Blue Beetle 2? What Jaime Reyes' Future Holds in DCU
While a direct theatrical sequel to the 2023 film hasn't been greenlit as a standalone feature, Jaime Reyes' journey is far from over.
Apart from his highly anticipated big-screen role in Man of Tomorrow, an animated Blue Beetle series is currently in active development under showrunner Miguel Puga, in which Maridueña will voice the main hero and expand the lore of Khaji-Da and the alien Scarab.
With James Gunn establishing an interconnected storyline where actors play their characters across live-action and animated formats, Maridueña's double duty guarantees that Blue Beetle will remain a central character of the DCU's long-term slate.
For now, DC Studios' Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, is slated to premiere on July 9, 2027. Stay tuned!
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