"Dad please don't mess it up."

Those were the words of Michael Pena's son, Roman, right before the actor went off to work on Marvel's "Ant-Man."

"It made me more nervous, I'm not going to lie," the actor told Latin Post during a recent interview. "He has an interesting sense of humor."

For Pena, who plays the character of Luis in the new superhero movie, the experience has one that has had extra importance to him because of its connection with his son.

"This is the reason I am doing these kinds of movies, especially for him," said Pena. "He really helped me to appreciate this world. Early in my career I was doing dramas because that is what I like to see. But because of him, I have been able to watch more animation and superhero films. My appreciation for them went up."

He revealed that, of all the movies, he has the greatest appreciation for the Iron Man films, especially the performance of its leading man.

"It was really groundbreaking to have Robert Downey Jr.'s performance. I took that as inspiration. When you are doing any kind of comedy like that, you want make sure that you're still in the movie tonally. I definitely watched that series quite a bit to draw experience from it."

"I still usually ask him for advice on what Marvel movies to watch though," Pena admitted before explaining that his favorite of the superheroes is Iron Man.

Pena was brought on in early stages of production when Edgar Wright was still a part of the production. The helmer eventually dropped out and was replaced by Peyton Reed.

"[Edgar] told me that he wrote the part for me and asked me if I would be in it," said Pena. Wright eventually left the production, but Pena stayed on and had an opportunity to work with Paul Rudd who deemed "one of the most generous actors I have ever worked with."

Pena noted that the production itself, while requiring "16 slow and deliberate hours a day," was rather smooth and well put together.

"The Marvel movies are so well-put together that they motivate you to do your best."

At the end of the day the biggest question was whether Roman would enjoy the movie.

"He did. He gave me a little hug and went back to playing 'Minecraft.'"

Next up for Pena is a starring role in "The Vatican Tapes," where he plays a "rookie priest."

"I grew up Catholic so I enjoyed the script. Growing up and learning about heaven and hell captured my imagination, so it was exciting to do that movie," he noted. He is also set to star in "Vacation," the animated film "Hell & Back" and John Michael McDonagh's "War on Everyone."

Pena has become one of the premier Latin American actors working in the film industry today. The actor, who has starred in such films as "End of Watch," "Tower Heist," "American Hustle," "Fury," the lead role in "Cesar Chavez," "The Lincoln Lawyer," and "Lions for Lambs," noted that it was not always easy to find good writing for the demographic.

"When I first started, there was this thing called the breakdowns where you would see the description of the characters. And I remember that the lead would say 'Caucasian Only.' And you would only see a small supporting role or cameo that says 'Open to other ethnicities,'" he explained. "I'm not going to lie -- that sucked!"

"I've seen the breakdowns since and the opportunities are definitely growing and changing [for Latin Americans]. It's kind of exciting to be part of a generation that is pushing this kind of change."