The year 2025 promises to be a banner year for Latino representation in Hollywood. Several highly anticipated films feature talented Latino actors in pivotal roles, showcasing the growing diversity and influence of Latin talent in the entertainment industry. One of the most exciting projects is Elio, Disney-Pixar’s latest animated sci-fi adventure. In this family flick set for release in June and co-directed by Adrian Molina (Mexican-American co- writer/director of Coco), 11-year-old Elio Solis is whisked away to a faraway planet where a united federation of alien species mistake the boy for an ambassador from Earth.
As with December’s anticipated Avatar: Fire and Ash, Elio stars award-winning actress Zoe Saldaña, who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage. Marvel Studios and their Marvel Cinematic Universe have thrilled moviegoers of all ages and backgrounds since 2008’s Iron Man, and 2025 is proving to be no exception. In Captain America: Brave New World, the new Captain America, Sam Wilson will be aided in his mission in February by a new Falcon: Joaquin Torres, portrayed by Danny Ramirez reprising the role from Disney+’s The Falcon and the WInter Soldier. Ramirez, an American actor of Colombian and Mexican descent, previously took over the skies and audiences’ attention in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. Also from Marvel Studios, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the latest reboot of Marvel’s “first family” due in July. Taking over the role of team leader Mr. Fantastic will be Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal, perhaps best known for the titular role of Star Wars’ The Mandalorian. Pascal will be leading the ensemble cast as stretchable superhero Mr. Fantastic AKA Dr. Reed Richards, the Marvel canon’s “smartest man on the planet”.
As if this weren’t enough superhero excitement for the Latino community, Peruvian-American actress Isabela Merced and Venezuelan actress/singer María Gabriela de Faría will be supporting the Man of Steel in DC Studios’ reboot of Superman, also due in July. Merced, no stranger to comic book roles after 2024’s Madame Web, will be portraying Hawkgirl, a member of the Justice League who fights crime with her raptor-like wings and mace. De Faría, meanwhile, will take on the role of The Engineer, a nanotechnology-powered anti-heroine. These are just a few examples of the many talented Latino actors and acctresses who are set to make their mark in 2025. As the industry continues to evolve, it is clear that Latin talent is playing an increasingly important role in shaping the future of the mainstream motion picture and Hollywood in general.
