Xolo Maridueña, who is famously known for his role as Miguel in Cobra Kai on Netflix, stars as he takes on a different persona in this summer’s hit film Blue Beetle.  

Blue Beetle hit theaters on Aug. 18 and sees Maridueña play Jaime Reyes, who is the main character in the film. Throughout the movie, Reyes is just a young man trying to find his role in society.  

Fresh out of college with a degree and facing difficulty in finding a job, Reyes meets Jenny Kord, played by Bruna Marquezine, who tries to help Jaime find a job and, in a rush, gives Reyes an artifact called the Blue Beetle Scarab. The scarab is a tiny alien, shaped like a beetle, that chooses someone to be its symbiotic host. In this case, it chose Reyes and turned his world upside down. 

Not only does it turn Reyes’ world upside down, but the world of his family as well. The Scarab changes Reyes’ life in ways that he never could have imagined as he becomes Blue Beetle, and the scarab will protect him at all costs.  

Additionally, the scarab can create whatever Reyes asks it to create. At one point in the film, Reyes has no choice but to work with the scarab as the film’s antagonist, Victoria Kord, is in constant pursuit of him. Kord wants the scarab for herself because she will use it for something that has never been done before.  

While on the runaway from Kord, Reyes gets help from Kord’s niece, Jenny, and the rest of his family. His family plays a crucial part in this conflict, as Elpidia Carillo plays his mom, Belissa Escobedo plays his sister, Adrianna Barraza plays his grandmother and George Lopez plays his uncle. 

Maridueña does a sensational job playing Reyes in this film as audience members and his fans saw him play a different role than they’re used to. Despite playing a different role, it’s clear how the hand-to-hand combat of Cobra Kai prepared him for the action of “Blue Beetle. 

Additionally, Blue Beetle is a family-friendly movie where the theme of the movie is about family and the way family loves and protects you at any cost. This is seen with the family making efforts to ensure their family is safe, while also providing a good amount of comedic relief in the process. 

In this film, family is what drives and motivates Reyes to be the superhero he becomes after the film. Family is everything and it’s clear in this film that there is no hardship that can’t be faced with your support circle at home.