Groundbreaking 'Blue Beetle' movie soars as first DC superhero film with Latino lead

Blue Beetle soars as first DC superhero film with Latino lead

A new superhero flies onto the big screen tonight when "Blue Beetle" opens up in theaters around the country – but for many, it’s much more than just another superhero origin story: it’s a much-needed dose of cinematic representation.

CHICAGO - A new superhero flies onto the big screen tonight when "Blue Beetle" opens up in theaters around the country – but for many, it’s much more than just another superhero origin story: it’s a much-needed dose of cinematic representation.

Jaime Reyes, the alter-ego of "Blue Beetle," is the first Latino superhero to lead a DC super hero film – something not lost on director Angel Manuel Soto, who sat down to talk with FOX 32 Entertainment Reporter Jake Hamilton about the importance of representation in genre films.

"One of the things that comes with that conversation is the fact that I never tried to be Latino – I am Latino," Soto said. "Everything that I do is what I am. So by doing a film that happens to have Latino front and center – Latino cast, writers and director – finally, we can be ourselves.

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"Finally we can show ourselves authentically for who we are and represent at least a little bit."

"Blue Beetle" opens in theaters nation-wide tonight.