Bad Bunny will be taking his talents to the screen again, this time playing Marvel Comics superhero, El Muerto. The film is being directed by Jonás Cuarón (Desierto), whose last name surely rings a few bells. Cuarón is the son of legendary Mexican director, Alfonso Cuarón, known for his writing work on Roma, Gravity, and the iconic film Y tu mamá también.
El Muerto is a Spider-Man comic character, which means the film will be part of the Sony Pictures universe of Marvel characters which include Spider-Man and Venom. Bad Bunny’s character will be the first Latino character to be the lead in a Marvel film. El Muerto, whose real name is Juan-Carlos Sánchez, is considered an antihero and is the son of a luchador who becomes the next in line to inherit the ancestral power of El Muerto. These powers include the mask of a luchador which also grants superhuman abilities.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito A Martínez Ocasio, is no stranger to the big screen. He starred in four episodes of the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico and also appeared in the David Leitch film Bullet Train.
Sony Pictures has their work cut out for them after the failure of Morbius. Going in the direction of a Latine hero could prove to be a good decision. It is encouraging and appropriate to see a successful Latino cast in this role, but some fans were a little disappointed that a Mexican actor was not cast in the role of a Mexican comic book hero.
El Muerto is slated for a January 12, 2024 release.