At Sony’s Cinema Con presentation tonight, the company announced that Bad Bunny will star in their upcoming film El Muerto. This marks the first time a Latinx star will lead a Marvel film.
El Muerto – aka Juan Carlos – is an antihero from the Spider-Man universe. According to Marvel’s official comic biography, he is a superpowered Mexican wrestler whose power is passed down generationally through a luchador mask. His father presents him with the ancestral mask, at which point their “oppressor,” El Dorado, challenges Juan Carlos to earn the mask. His father sacrifices himself for Juan Carlos when he's a child, and El Dorado gives Juan Carlos ten years to gain the bravery to fight for his birthright.
After ten years, El Muerto asks J. Jonah Jameson to set up a fight with another masked fighter. Jameson sets up a fight with Spider-Man, and the fight is very close. When El Muerto nearly unmasks Spider-Man, Spidey stabs El Muerto and stops the fight to take him to the hospital.
These details apply to the comic book character. A plot for the film has not been announced, but a release date has been set: January 12, 2024.
Bad Bunny – whose birth name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – is a Puerto Rican rapper and producer who has had a life-long interest in wrestling. He has performed as a musician and as a wrestler in a number of WWE events.
"This opportunity to bring El Muerto to life, it’s amazing. It’s incredible. I love wrestling, I grew up watching wrestling, and now I’m a wrestler. I think it’s the perfect role for me. It will be epic, I’m sure."
Bad Bunny has also appeared in F9 and Narcos: Mexico. He will next be seen in Sony’s upcoming film Bullet Train.