“Cobra Kai” actor Xolo Maridueña is in negotiations for the lead role in “Blue Beetle” for HBO Max and Warner Bros., The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Angel Manuel Soto, who helmed the 2020 Sundance coming-of-age drama “Charm City Kings,” was earlier tapped to direct DC’s first film to center on a Latino superhero. Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, who penned “Miss Bala” and the upcoming “Scarface” reboot, wrote the script for “Blue Beetle.”

Multiple iterations of “Blue Beetle” have existed in the comics, with the film focusing on Jaime Reyes, an El Paso teen who uses alien armor granted by a strange artifact to defend his hometown. Reyes first debuted in the comics in 2006 from creators Keith Giffen, John Rogers and Cully Hamner.

Warner Bros.’ next big-screen outing is James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad,” due out on August 6. The “Blue Beetle” film is looking to start production in early 2022. John Rickard is producing for HBO Max. Zev Foreman is executive-producing.

(SD-Agencies)