Every Mexican Reference in Blue Beetle

“Blue Beetle,” the new summer blockbuster from the DC franchise, is a big moment for Latino representation in Hollywood. The movie stars Cuban-Mexican-Ecuadorian Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, the first Latino superhero to lead a DC film. The film is directed by Puerto Rican Angel Manuel Soto, who is also Latino and features a predominantly Latino cast. The movie has been praised for its representation of Latino culture and identity.

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The story centers around a young individual named Jaime Reyes, who has just completed their university studies and embarks on a journey that leads them to discover and forge a profound connection with an extraterrestrial object referred to as the Scarab. This mysterious artifact, housing the very essence of a being called Khaji Da, employs visceral corporeal transformations to bestow upon Jaime extraordinary abilities. These include an impenetrable outer shell and the power to manifest an array of adaptable weaponry whenever needed.

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“Blue Beetle” showcases Latino culture through its references to Mexican music and pop culture, including a Spanish-speaking soundtrack.

Among the artists that make up the soundtrack of Blue Beetle is Luis Miguel, Selena Quintanilla, Soda Stereo, Los Panchos, Celso Piña, Chalino Sánchez, Calle 13 and even Vicente Fernández. However, they are all covers of the original songs such as “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom”, “Será Que No Me Amas” and “María la del Barrio.”

Speaking about the latter, people who have already had the opportunity to see the film in the theater confirmed that there is even an important reference to the 1995 soap opera.

“We wanted to have this playlist of something that everybody in the family could probably listen to” said Soto to LA Times. “Art allows us to have a conversation that doesn’t care about borders, that doesn’t care about boundaries or frontiers. Music and arts connect people no matter what. I felt like we didn’t have to rely on American music. Latino music, we have punk, too. We have great 80s synthwave. We have ballads, we have reggaeton. We have everything! So why not celebrate it?”

Another reference to Mexican culture included in the movie is El Chapulín Colorado, the popular Mexican TV character created by comedian Roberto Gómez Bolaños.

These references help to ground the movie in a specific cultural context and make it feel more authentic to Latino audiences. They also serve as a nod to the rich cultural heritage of Mexico and its influence on Latino identity.

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Jaime Reyes is a young man who recently graduated from Law, he is of Mexican-American origin. He is the first member of his family to finish a university degree, all his relatives are immigrants and even his younger sister, named Milagros, is suspicious that one day he will be able to achieve success in the United States.

As Soto explained to USA Today, “We wanted to get the story right because we felt our Latinidad was just authentically ourselves. I did not have to try to be Latin, and a lot of what happens in the movie are experiences the actors have had because they’re Latino too. The movie isn’t trying to beat you with the Latino card because we are Latino.”