The rarity of superhero films primarily cast with Hispanic talent is all too clear for the likes of longtime stunt professional Ben Bray. The experienced stunt coordinator and showrunner of late has since answered the call accordingly, delivering El Chicano to the masses following a festival run that began late last year in Los Angeles, and to great avail for the cast and crew.
When L.A.P.D. Detective Diego Hernandez is assigned a career-making case investigating a vicious cartel, he uncovers links to his brother’s supposed suicide and a turf battle that’s about to swallow his neighborhood. Torn between playing by the book and seeking justice, he resurrects the masked street legend El Chicano. Now, out to take down his childhood buddy turned gang boss, he sets off a bloody war to defend his city and avenge his brother’s murder.
The messaging is loud and clear for Bray who has been on the beat with select El Chicano cast and crew, including Joe Carnahan who financed and produced the film through his currently-bustling WarParty Films banner. Word-of-mouth is that El Chicano is very much a Latin superhero action drama and less so the barrio crime soliloquy that a few festival handlers and early naysayers have mistaken it to be, according to plenty of folks who’ve seen the film and have shared their reactions via Twitter or elsewhere.
That the film comes out on May 3 is certainly a plus with some week-long breathing room after the release of Avengers: Endgame. Indeed, it’s superhero movie season and with a new official trailer on hand from Briarcliff, El Chicano is staking it’s claim accordingly.
El Chicano stars Raúl Castillo, Aimee Garcia and George Lopez.
