Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon is set to replace Sharon Stone as the villain of the upcoming Blue Beetle film.
TheWrap reports that Sharon Stone is no longer attached to the Blue Beetle film starring Xolo Maridueña. According to the trade, Susan Sarandon (Thelma and Louise, Dead Man Walking) has closed a deal to take over the role, with production on the DC Films project expected to begin later this year. The actress joins a cast that also includes Harvey Guillén, Raoul Max Trujillo, Elpidia Carrillo, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Bruna Marquezine, Damián Alcázar and Belissa Escobedo.
A 20-year old actor of Mexican, Cuban and Ecuadorian descent, Xolo Maridueña is best known for his work as Miguel Diaz in the Karate Kid sequel series Cobra Kai, which made its debut on YouTube Red before moving to Netflix. He previously starred in the NBC series Parenthood. Blue Beetle marks Maridueña’s first foray into the DC Universe.
In DC Comics lore, Dan Garrett was an archeologist who discovered the Blue Beetle scarab and used its power to fight crime. Though his successor, Ted Kord, was unable to harness the scarab’s power, the brilliant billionaire took on the Blue Beetle mantle from his mentor using technology and martial arts. Years later, a teenage boy named Jaime Reyes came into the possession of the Blue Beetle scarab and used it to manifest a weaponized exoskeleton. Taking on the Beetle mantle, Jaime used the suit for good alongside his two best friends Brenda and Paco.
Created by Keith Giffen, John Rogers and Cully Hamner, Jaime Reyes made his first appearance in the pages of 2006’s Infinite Crisis #5. A live-action version of Jaime made an appearance in the Superman prequel series Smallville, with Jaren Brandt Bartlett playing the DC Comics hero.
Blue Beetle is being directed by Angel Manuel Soto for an August 2023 release. Stay tuned for the latest news surrounding the film and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
Source: TheWrap
