Booyaka! ‘Rey Mysterio Vs. The Darkness’ Drops First U.S. Trailer Ahead Of SDCC, YouTube Premieres (EXCLUSIVE)

Leading Mexican indie studio ¡Viva Calavera! has given Cartoon Brew exclusive access to the first U.S. trailer for Rey Mysterio vs. The Darkness, the animated action series created with WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio that’s already a hit with kids and families in its native Mexico.

The English-language trailer arrives ahead of the show’s U.S. premiere at San Diego Comic-Con. The first episode, “Enygma,” will screen during the panel Rey Mysterio vs. The Darkness: From Screen to Comics on Saturday, July 25, moderated by Jorge R. Gutierrez alongside ¡Viva Calavera!’s masked founders, los Hermanos Calavera.

Watch the new trailer below:

Following its Comic-Con debut, “Enygma” will be released in English and Spanish on the official Rey Mysterio vs. The Darkness YouTube channel on July 26.

The stylish series stars Mysterio as an animated version of himself, but the real lead is Oscar, an eight-year-old wrestling fan who accidentally acquires supernatural powers and joins his hero in a battle against the malevolent luchador Uroboros and his forces of darkness. Developed by Cartoon Network Latin America and ¡Viva Calavera!, the show combines lucha libre with Mexican history, mythology, and anime influences.

Rey Mysterio vs. The Darkness originally premiered on Cartoon Network and HBO Max across Latin America in late 2023, reaching the latter platform’s top ten in Mexico. A previously anticipated U.S. release never materialized, leaving the series largely unseen outside the region.

“The audience outside Latam has not had a chance to discover this story yet, so SDCC is the first step to change that,” ¡Viva Calavera! CEO Mestizo Enmascarado told Cartoon Brew. “The episode will be premiered at SDCC and then will be released on YouTube for everyone to discover. What happens next will very much depend on what the audience wants.”

According to Mestizo Enmascarado, the Latin American launch enhanced ¡Viva Calavera!’s reputation among younger Mexican animators and helped the studio attract talent. Internationally, the series has served as a key portfolio piece, validating the company’s creative voice and production capabilities and helping it secure projects including the short film Beasts Of Death, whose trailer we recently debuted here at Cartoon Brew ahead of a Fantasia Festival screening.

The studio is now looking to turn the U.S. release into greater global visibility for both the IP and ¡Viva Calavera! itself. Although distribution discussions are underway, Mestizo Enmascarado said no deal has been confirmed, and an independent rollout remains possible. The response to the first episode’s YouTube release will help determine what happens with the completed season.

There could also be considerably more to come from the show’s universe. “We have storylines mapped out and now are pushing to find the best ways to tell them,” Mestizo Enmascarado said. “Whether it be a new season, specials, comic books, and even video games, there is still much more to tell about these characters and their world.”

“We are super thankful to Rey Mysterio for the opportunity he has given us and his support. We’re excited to do more with him in this universe and maybe beyond,” he added.

Although the show itself is meant for kids and families, there is apparently little chance that Rey’s own son, the hugely popular WWE and AAA superstar Dominic Mysterio will be making a cameo anytime soon. Although the crew hasn’t ruled out the possibility entirely. Maintaining kayfabe, the wrestling industry term for canon, Mestizo Enmascarado explained, “There is little to no chance we would ever work with his ungrateful son, Dirty Dom Mysterio. Although we never say never.”