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Xolo Maridueña stars as the lead character, Miguel Diaz, in Netflix's martial arts series, Cobra Kai. The widely-successful teen drama series is set to return with its fifth season on September 9, 2022, on Netflix. Cobra Kai was initially released on YouTube Red on May 2, 2018, where it aired for two seasons before getting picked up by Netflix.
Cobra Kai comes as a continuation of The Karate Kid film universe, which released in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The story includes old characters like Johnny Lawrence, Daniel LaRusso, John Kreese, and others while bringing in a new generation of young fighters who learn under the different schools of martial arts and participate in the All Valley Karate Tournament, where they hope to emerge victorious.
Johnny Lawrence is leading a desolate life as a handyman after being traumatized for over 34 years post his defeat and assault at the hands of John Kreese. When he fights off a bunch of bullies picking on Miguel, Miguel in turn considers Lawrence as his sensei and begins learning karate from him, in the hope of standing up for himself. Johnny, in turn, restarts the Cobra Kai dojo, to pass on his form of martial arts to the next generation.
In this article, we dive into some of the many interesting facts about the actor Xolo Maridueña who plays the character of Miguel Diaz. The relationship between Miguel and Johnny essentially substitutes that of Mr. Miyagi and Daniel in The Karate Kid trilogy.
His career debut, future endeavors and more - 5 interesting tidbits about the Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña
1) The beginning of his on-screen career
Xolo Maridueña made his major debut on screen in the NBC family comedy-drama series, Parenthood, in 2012 as the adopted son of Julia and Joel. While it may have been his major debut on screen, he had in fact done advertisements before that in his early years.
His first major role on screen in Parenthood was when he was only 11 years old. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Maridueña said that acting was only a means of paying for college, and he was never fixated on it until later in 2018 when he bagged the role of Miguel in Cobra Kai.
2) He had a bit of training in martial arts before his role in Cobra Kai
Xolo Maridueña had trained in karate when he was quite young. In the first grade, Maridueña learned the basics of karate, but quickly forgot whatever he had picked up. After bagging the role of Miguel, he had to take up martial arts lessons again to come up to speed and learn enough martial arts to shoot the first two seasons.
Incidentally, Maridueña had not really seen the original The Karate Kid movie when he auditioned for the role. Only after getting the role did he go back to the trilogy and watch them meticulously to prepare to film for the show.
3) His family and cultural roots
Xolo Maridueña is a Spanish-origin actor who was born and brought up in Los Angeles, California to parents Omar G. Ramirez and Carmelita Ramirez Sanchez. He comes from a household who has been in showbiz for quite some time now, making his on-screen debut seem more natural. His father is a music producer and his mother works as a radio host.
His full name is Amario Xolo Maridueña, and Xolo actually has a special meaning. In an interview with Hispanicize, Carmelita said that Xolo was named after the Xolotl constellation which was right above when he was born, and also worked as the north star. His name is Nahuatl by origin, which is a reminder of his roots. His first name, Ramario, was inspired by his grandfather from his mother's side, Ramon, and his uncle, Mario.
4) Xolo Maridueña is an ardent fan of Dungeons and Dragons
Xolo Maridueña has been busy with his recent success and seldom finds free time for himself. In the little time he has, he likes to play both video games and tabletop games. He is a self-proclaimed nerd of sorts and absolutely loves Dungeons & Dragons. Maridueña even makes time every week to go to a local meet-up for D&D players.
When he's not bogged down by work and isn't playing Dungeons & Dragons, he prefers to listen to music and unwind.
5) DC Extended Universe's first Latino superhero
Xolo Maridueña has shot to fame with his role as Miguel Diaz in Cobra Kai. The major success of the series has no doubt paved the way for his future endeavors. He is set to star in the DC Extended Universe as their first Latino-origin superhero, Blue Beetle.
DC is working on a superhero film titled Blue Beetle, which will star Xolo Maridueña in the lead role. He plays the character of Jaime Reyes, a teenager who gets superpowers from an alien blue scarab and becomes the Blue Beetle. The film is currently in the pre-production stage and will release sometime in 2023.
Cobra Kai is set to release its fifth season on Netflix on September 9, 2022. Tune into the streaming platform to catch the latest developments in the action-packed drama series.
