Gael García Bernal and Bad Bunny Seen Kissing in Biopic About Luchador Cassandro
Lucha Libre is a crucial part of Mexican entertainment. First introduced in the early 20th century, Lucha Libre is now an integral part of Latino culture with an incredible amount of influence in the global wrestling scene. However, a particular subculture of Lucha Libre, exótico, doesn’t enjoy the same global popularity as mainstream wrestling.
“Cassandro” puts exótico in the spotlight
Exótico splits the difference between Lucha Libre and drag, quickly becoming an integral part of queer culture in Latin America. Being gay is definitely not a requirement, but queer wrestling fans have an affinity for this unique wrestling subculture.
A new film called “Cassandro” profiles one of the biggest names in exótico. The film’s real-life inspiration is well-known in the world of Lucha Libre. However, some fans overlook Cassandro when naming the best and most influential wrestlers of all time.
The new film, which stars Gael García Bernal and premiered this week at Sundance, is getting rave reviews from critics as a fitting biopic and, overall, a ton of fun to watch. Cassandro’s life is tailor-made for the big screen, with family drama, drug addiction, and everything in between.
Bad Bunny: rapper, actor, queer icon
The film made some waves on social media this week after a photo from the film leaked online. Bernal stars alongside Bad Bunny, who plays Felipe, Cassandro’s drug-dealing underling in the film. The image shows Bernal and Benito kissing, which is reportedly a brief but important moment in the film.
Bad Bunny, a longtime supporter of the queer community, is no stranger to LGBTQ+ advocacy. In addition to rejecting the norms of machismo that run through all of Latin America, he’s even producing a queer sci-fi show for Netflix with the creator of Bridgerton.
Benito’s performance isn’t a one-time deal
Additionally, the rapper’s acting career is already gaining traction thanks to supporting roles in “Bullet Train” and “Narcos: Mexico,” which garnered positive responses from critics and fans alike.
On top of that, the rapper is currently preparing to star in Sony’s latest Spider-Man spinoff, “El Muerto,” as part of their extended universe of anti-heroes like Venom and Morbius. According to IMDb, he’ll also be voicing a character based on himself in the upcoming WWE 2K23 game.
All things considered, he seems like the perfect person to play this role. As a fan of professional wrestling and his tendency to speak out against issues affecting the queer community, his inclusion in the film almost seems like a requirement.
In fact, his inclusion is receiving a mixed response from critics, who praise the performance but feel like his character is, in the grand scheme of the story, mostly inconsequential. Although Benito’s performance is a minor one, critics agree it’s the most interesting character he’s played thus far.
