Here are some fun facts about the Latinos going to movie theaters. A few years back in 2017 Hispanics/Latinos had the highest per-capita attendance at the movies, an average of 4.5 times per year according to the MPAA. They are responsible for buying twenty-four percent of movie tickets in the US. So why hasn’t DC or Marvel capitalized on this market by featuring a Latino/Latina superhero? A question that I have consistently asked myself for years.

It looks like our wait may soon be over as director Angel Manuel Soto has been brought in by Warner Bros. and DC to direct a Blue Beetle film according to The Wrap. This will star Jaime Reyes as the Blue Beetle. This means that he potentially will be the first superhero film to star a Latino character. You may recognize Soto’s name as he recently directed Charm City Kings, which you can check out on HBO Max. The screenplay for Blue Beetle is from Mexican-born writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer.

The persona of Blue Beetle has been held by three different characters in history. It goes as far back as 1939 when he was created by Charles Wojtkowski for Fox Comics. Then the character of Dan Garrett, a police officer took on the characters when he consumed experimental vitamins to get powers. He was later reimagined by Charton Comics in the 50s. In 1966, the character was again updated by the legendary comic book writer Steve Ditko. He introduced the character that many comic book fans recognize in Ted Kord.

ALSO SEE: DC DEVELOPING BLUE BEETLE FILM WITH LATINO LEAD

Fast forward to 2006 when Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Cully Hamner introduced us to Jaime Reyes. He first appeared during the Infinite Crisis event at DC in February’s Infinite Crisis #3. In the comics, he is a working-class teenager from El Paso, Texas. He has strong ties to his family and prior to his powers had no connections to other heroes. He found the Blue Beetle scarab on his way home one day. His curiosity led him to take it home. Then at night, the scarab came alive and grafted itself to the base of Jaime’s spine. The scarab gave him a suit of alien armor that can be modified to enhance his speed and strength. Also, it allows Jaime to create weapons, wings, and shields. Besides the pages of comics, his most recognizable appearance has been in the second season of the animated series Young Justice: Invasion.

I am very excited to see how this project develops. I hope that they are careful and make sure they deliver us a fantastic film for Latinos all over to be proud of. What do you think of the Blue Beetle news? Who is on your shortlist to play Jamie Reyes? Let us know in the comment section below!

Blue Beetle is looking for a fall production start.

Source: The Wrap