The SAG-AFTRA strike is now over, and that means actors are finally getting to share their thoughts on the projects they were not allowed to promote. Among them is Blue Beetle’s Xolo Maridueña, who took to Instagram to share BTS pictures from the film, a reflection on what the movie meant to him, and what it meant to celebrate it behind closed doors.

“Blue Beetle is sacred to me,” Maridueña said, “from the family you see on screen to the ones I made off, this movie has tore me down and built me back up in ways I’ll never be able to articulate,” Maridueña said, to a carousel that features pictures of him with the rest of the cast, in Blue Beetle costume and out of it. 

The young actor went on to add that having to experience the release of the movie while on strike was a formative moment, but it helped him realize that “there is no dollar sign, no tweet, no headline, that can quantify the feeling inside a child who sees their ancestry is heroic.” 

Finally, he thanked fans and said, “This is for all of our inner child. Thank you for everyone who supported and showed out,” ending the post with “You’re all superhero’s cabrones!” and a promise of more pictures to come. 

The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with comments from fans ranging from “Watched this movie three times in theaters and cried” to “This movie is a beacon of amor and joy for our community” to Xochitl Gomez herself popping up to say “Bro, you know how much I love this film. The story, the action, the comedy, the pure heart and soul you all put in …It was simply perfection. So glad I can post my pics!”

You can now watch Xolo Maridueña in Blue Beetle via DVD and Digital. It will be available on streaming on November 17.