In a normal summer, Friday’s arrival of “Blue Beetle,” the first DC superhero movie to feature a Latino lead, would be a splashy, triumphant moment for its filmmakers and stars.

But with actors and screenwriters on strike, the film’s promotional campaign has been without its lead cast.

That’s left director Ángel Manuel Soto as the main voice promoting the film, a rare big-budget summer movie highlighting Latinos and Latino culture. Soto has taken the burden in stride and found clever ways to spotlight his cast.

At a film screening this week, Soto and his wife held a picture of “Blue Beetle” star Xolo Maridueña over their faces as photographers snapped them. For a series of promotional interviews, he wore a special shirt with the film’s Latino cast represented as Mexican Loteria cards, a clever homage for a movie infused with Latino music and culture.