Sony’s plans for a shared universe of Spider-Man villains continue to grow more ambitious (and peculiar), with the studio today announcing a film focused around fictional wrestler El Muerto. Rapper Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) will play the titular hero, marking the first time that a live-action Marvel film will be headlined by a Latino actor. Sony made the announcement as part of its CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas today.
In the comics, El Muerto’s power comes from the luchador mask they wear, which is passed down through the family line. The current incarnation of the hero is Juan-Carlos Estrada Sanchez, who acquired the mantle after teaming up with Spider-Man to defeat El Dorado.
The film will likely take liberties with that source material. On stage at CinemaCon, a Sony representative indicated that it will be an origin story, with the character being an antihero on the verge of inheriting his father’s power, according to Variety.
El Muerto joins the Venom series, Morbius, and the upcoming Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web films in the spin-off universe. For the time being, El Muerto is the furthest out of these movies, with a planned release date of January 12, 2024. Kraven the Hunter is next up, set for January 13, 2023. Madame Web is expected on July 7, 2023.
