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Bad Bunny Makes History As The First Latino To Lead A Live-Action Marvel Film

Bad Bunny secured himself a lil bit of history in the Marvel Universe. He is the first Latino to be cast as the lead in a live-action Marvel film.

Presented by Sony Motion Pictures Group, El Muerto,tells the story of a wrestler named Juan Carlos Estrada Sanchez (also El Muerto) in the comics. According to Marvel’s site, the character possess powers and a mask passed down through generations. In the new film, Bad Bunny will tackle portraying the character as an antihero who is about to inherit his father’s power, perVariety.

Bad Bunny Joins Marvel Universe

The announcement came during the recent CinemaCon, an annual meeting between movie theater owners. Sony president Sanford Panitch introduced the actor at the event. Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martnez Ocasio, spoke on his excitement for the opportunity.

“Its amazing, its incredible. I love wrestling. I grew up watching wrestling and Im a wrestler. Im a former champion so this is why I love this character,” Bad Bunny said. “I think its the perfect role to me and it will be epic.

Despite being Marvel’s first, this won’t be Bad Bunny’s first time taking on a role. He previously lent his talents to Narcos: Mexicoand another project namedCassandro.

He also wrapped another film alongside industry vets like Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock. That movie, named Bullet Train,will be out this summer in July. At CinemaCon, Bad Bunny spoke about working with the movie’s director David Leitch–who will also be involved withEl Muerto.

An amazing experience. David (Leitch) is awesome. I loved working with him on my first film and now with this opportunity to bringEl Muerto to life,” Bad Bunny said.

Those excited to see Bad Bunny take on the Marvel Universe will be waiting for a hot minute.El Muerto won’t hit theaters until January 12, 2024.

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Cassandra Santiago

Cassandra Santiago is a multimedia journalist, editor, and editorial strategist with over a decade of experience shaping conversations across arts, entertainment, culture, and global news. A graduate of the University of Iowa, she has built a cross-platform career spanning newspapers, magazines, radio, and digital media. She joined The Shade Room five years ago and currently serves as a Senior Editor, where she leads editorial direction, oversees exclusive coverage, and trains and edits a team of writers. Cassandra has played a key role in developing high-impact content and editorial strategies for an audience of more than 30 million, contributing to platform growth, engagement, and monetization across multiple channels. In addition to her leadership role, she remains a daily contributor, with her articles generating more than 41 million views since 2023. Beyond The Shade Room, Cassandra offers freelance social media strategy services, speaks on the influence and impact of Black media at public panels, and owns Did It For You, an event design company in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. She is Poynter Institute–certified and was named to the DMV’s 35 Under 35 list in 2024.

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