Blue Beetle is a popular Latino hero in the DC Universe, and now he’s getting his own movie. The film is so close to release and had an interesting road to the big screen, as it was developed originally for streaming before getting a theatrical release date and was made with the intention of being in one cinematic universe and now will be part of another. There certainly is a lot to keep track of with this film.
Updated July 20, 2023: In honor of Comic-Con weekend, this article has been updated with even more information about the release of the upcoming Blue Beetle.
Blue Beetle is the story of Jaime Reyes, a Mexican-American teenager that finds a mysterious robotic scarab that fuses with his spine and gives him the ability to summon a powerful suit of armor. Though this may seem like a blessing, Jaime quickly discovers that the beetle has a mind of its own and is sometimes able to control him instead of the other way around. Blue Beetle is DC’s first Latinx hero to get their own feature film, and the director, writer, and nearly all the cast are Latinx as well. Blue Beetle has long deserved more screen time, and now it looks like they’re going to get it. Here’s everything we know about Blue Beetle.
The Cast & Crew
The Latinx cast is stacked with talent. Xolo Maridueña, who plays Miguel in Cobra Kai, will be starring as Jaime Reyes, and we couldn’t think of a better actor for the role. There are many other recognizable names, including Harvey Guillén, who plays the fearsome vampire “hunter” Guillermo in What We Do in the Shadows. He will play the role of Dr. Sanchez, a scientist working with the villains. Pop star Becky G, who also played the Yellow Ranger in 2017's Power Rangers, will voice Khaji-Da, the entity that imbues and controls the Scarab.
Related: You Should Watch These 10 DC Movies to Prepare for the DCU's Blue Beetle
Other fantastic actors include the legendary George Lopez playing the role of Uncle Rudy Reyes. Elpidia Carrillo from the original Predator movies and, more recently, Euphoria will play Rocio Reyes. Raoul Max Trujillo (Riddick, Apocalypto) will be Carapax the Indestructible Man, a big Blue Beetle villain with a powerful suit. Adriana Barraza (Babel, Thor) will play Nana, Jaime’s grandmother. Jorge Jimenez (‘Til Death) will play Uncle Chema Reyes. Bruna Marquezine (Maldivas) will play Penny, Jaime’s love interest. Belissa Escobedo (American Horror Story, Sex Appeal) will play Milagros Reyes, Jaime’s sister. Damián Alcázar (La Ley de Herodes, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian) will play Alberto Reyes. And Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, Ray Donovan) will be Victoria Kord, a character that might be related to one in the comics but seems to have been made for the film.
Along with the predominantly Latinx cast, the culture is represented by Angel Manuel Soto's (Charm City Kings) directing and Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (Miss Bala) writing. Bobby Krlic, aka The Hanax Cloak, is composing the score for the film. He previously did the score for Midsommar and Beau is Afraid.
The Plot
Jaime Reyes is the third but most popular Blue Beetle, and the film will serve as an origin story for the character. When Jaime goes to apply for a job at Kord Industries, he suddenly finds himself in possession of the Scarab. This ancient relic of alien technology chooses Jaime to be its host and bonds with him. This gives him a suit of armor capable of incredible abilities and pushes him toward being a superhero. When these new powers put Jaime's family in danger and in the crosshair of Carapax, the Indestructible Man, he has to choose between this newfound responsibility and the old life he wishes he never left.
In the comics, Jaime Reyes finds the Scarab after it is flung to his hometown of El Paso, Texas, from the exploding Rock of Eternity. After Jaime discovers the scarab, it fuses to his spine while he is sleeping. Jaime must likely find a way to work with the Scarab in order to protect himself and his mind from the strange technology. But this is likely where the film story will part from the comic book. If we can draw any conclusions from the cast list, Victoria Kord will probably be aware of the scarab and send the powerful Carapax to retrieve it.
Who are the Villains?
While the status of the second Blue Beetle, Ted Kord, is still unknown, Victoria Kord will be playing a major role in the film as an antagonist. Susan Sarandon's character is an original one created for the movie, but the character has already made their way into the comics as Ted's older sister. We're yet to learn her relation to Ted, but one thing for sure is that she's willing to do anything to get the Scarab back. She aims to "change the world with the power of the Scarab", but who knows what her true intentions may be. Sarandon has teased that she's "the white military-industrial complex", so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out in the movie.
We know from the trailers that Conrad Carapax will be involved, so the story is likely to go along the lines of this evil Kord corporation inventing the technology and then giving it to this man only to have it be misused. When Jaime gets possession of the Scarab, it seems that Victoria will be sending Carapax after him to retrieve it. Conrad is a Guatemalan war veteran at first who will become the Indestructible Man after experiments by Kord Industries. This grants him enhanced abilities such as strength, durability, and an energy whip to use against Jaime.
Related: Blue Beetle: How the Character Differs From the Rest of DC’s Superheroes
A new clip for the movie also made reference to OMAC. In the comics, OMAC was a fictional type of cyborg that are human bodies transformed into cyborgs by a nanotech virus. Given the similarities to what the Blue Beetle scarab does to Jaime Reyes, it is likely there will be a connection between the two, and OMAC might be derived from trying to replicate the Blue Beetle. OMACs were originally intended to be the villains in George Miller's scrapped Justice League Mortals film back in 2009.
DCU Connections
Blue Beetle is in an odd place within the new DCU. It was originally intended to be part of the DCEU, but recent comments by DC Studios President James Gunn and Peter Safran imply it is part of their universe. It will also be the first film in the new DCU helmed by James Gunn and Peter Safran. The intention appears if the movie is a hit; it can easily be slotted into their new DCU plans.
The trailers feature a few DC references. Buildings for LexCorp and Ace Chemicals are shown. Batman is referenced explicitly, with the joke likely originally made with the intention of the DCEU Batman but now can be a reference to the new Batman that will appear in The Brave and the Bold.
It is also worth noting the trailer seems to imply Ted Kord was previously a hero named Blue Beetle, as his lair is shown, which includes many classic suits and his weapons, including his Beetle ship. This may hint at a larger legacy of characters and a long history within the DCU. With Superman: Legacy casting characters like Hawgirl, Metamorpho, Mr. Terrific, and Guy Gardner, it appears this will be a thriving universe when audiences join in. With cameos being teased for the film, it'll be exciting to see how the DCU kicks off with this fresh new character.
Release Date
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Though, at first, the Blue Beetle project was set to release exclusively on HBO Max, the film was bumped up for a theatrical release. The movie is set to open in theaters on theaters on August 18, 2023.
Despite the recent WGA and SAG Strike, it does not appear that Warner Bros. will delay the release of Blue Beetle. However, until the Strike is resolved, none of the actors or writers will be able to promote the film.
