By Isabella Soares
Xolo Maridueña stars as DC's first Latino superhero.
Quick Links
- When and Where Is Blue Beetle Releasing?
- Watch the Trailer for Blue Beetle
- What Is the Plot of Blue Beetle?
- Who's In the Cast of Blue Beetle?
- Who's Making Blue Beetle (And When and Where Was it Filmed)?
- Will There Be a Blue Beetle 2?
The DC Universe is transitioning to a whole new future under James Gunn and Peter Safran's leadership. Yet, there are still some projects from the previous DC management that are still set to come out this year. Blue Beetle (2023) will land in theaters this summer, and it stars none other than Cobra Kai's Xolo Maridueña as superhero Jaime Reyes. He is the first Latino lead in a DC project, bringing an additional layer to the comic book character in the live-action. From the release date to the plot, trailer, cast, and more, here are all the details you should know about this highly anticipated project.
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When and Where Is Blue Beetle Releasing?
Unlike Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, Blue Beetle wasn't scrapped from the DC release calendar. After the Warner Bros-Discovery merger, a number of upcoming films were double-crossed from existence but luckily, our scarab-themed hero was among those that survived. As for the release, Blue Beetle will land in theaters on August 18, 2023, forgoing its original plan for a direct-to-streaming release on HBO Max. The film will also receive the IMAX treatment, making the viewer experience much more immersive according to director Angel Manuel Soto who said this during a Q&A with the Press:
"...IMAX is the shit. It’s the immersive aspect of it. I try to be as immersive as I can, with the projects that I do. The scope of IMAX allowed you to be swallowed whole into the frame. My relationship with cinema is very spiritual, and it almost feels like you can have a physical connection to it. In the same way that we try our best to bring the audience in and come into this dance, with the story and with the characters, IMAX just advances it a little further. It feels like you’re dancing with your partner, instead of just being alone in a room with it."
Watch the Trailer for Blue Beetle
The Blue Beetle trailer introduces Jaime Reyes as the titular superhero lead. He lives in a fictional city called Palmera and has an unfulfilling job in the hotel industry, up until he is asked to guard a box with a mysterious bug/alien inside it known as a scarab. As the creature manages to escape the box and bite Jaime's spine, he finds himself transformed into the Blue Beetle. From what we can tell from the trailer, Jaime's superpowers include a well-equipped exosuit that shields him from dangerous situations and enhanced vision that allows him to detect any potential threats. Since the film shows him as a newly transformed superhero, it will also likely draw focus to Jaime's process of adapting to his newfound abilities and learning how to use them wisely. While he tries his best to use his supernatural powers for good, the character must keep an eye out for Victoria Kord and Conrad Carapax, who plan to use the scarab that transformed Jaime for a devious plan of their own.
What Is the Plot of Blue Beetle?
Here is the official synopsis of the film:
Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.
Related:'Blue Beetle' Movie Gets First Look at Suit in Concept Art
Who's In the Cast of Blue Beetle?
One of the most exciting things about this project is the fact that it's DC's first Latino-led superhero movie. Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña will play Jaime Reyes on the big screen and this will be his first movie credit. During a Q&A session (which Collider attended), Maridueña spoke about what it was like to be cast in the role and getting to tie it all back to the comics:
"That part of things, making everything canon, is a very exciting part of the process. I got to come in during pre-production and help carve out who Jaime is, as a character. I was really grateful that Angel gave me a lot of liberties, in terms of trusting me, as a performer. Jaime feels so honest. Although we’re telling this larger than life story, it felt really easy, especially with the help of the family, to get those moments. Our rehearsal days weren’t getting the lines right. It was talking as a family. Once that part locked into place, the rest of the dominoes went perfectly. That really is due in part to wanting the foundation of this movie and the soil to be really pure, and wanting the hearts and souls of these characters to be three-dimensional. Once that was in place, everything else melted away. At the same time, we wanted to do something that’s different. We’ve seen a lot of these superhero movies, over the course of the past couple of decades, and seeing where we could fit in that feels different, was one of the most magical parts. It’s not about competition to us. We’re not looking to be called the next blah, blah, blah. We just want to enter this space and have it feel new, and I think we completed that. I think we did it."
Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine plays Penny, Jaime's romantic interest in Blue Beetle. This is her Hollywood debut, after a jam-packed acting career in Brazilian soap operas and TV shows. As for the antagonist, Sharon Stone was originally in talks to play Victoria Kord, but Susan Sarandon will be portraying the villain in the film instead. Here is what she told Collider's own Arezou Amin about the experience playing the character.
"My God, to be in a comic book and to be the bad guy, that was great. And I had great outfits, and I wanted to be a little bit more androgynous, but that scared them. So I'm a little bit more gentle, but that was really a fun thing too. That young director, Angel [Manuel Soto], was fabulous. And I mean, we're gushing a lot. It sounds phony, but really, I love the enormity of it. His whole family is Mexican and they're all Mexican actors, and my henchman is Native American. So it was pretty unusual. It's the first superhero movie that stars a Latino, so that's pretty special, and he's great. The kid's great."
Other names set to star in the superhero film include Raoul Max Trujillo as Conrad Carapax (aka Carapax the Indestructible Man), Damian Alcazar and Elpidia Carrillo as Jamie's parents, Belissa Escobedo as Jaime's sister, the legendary George Lopez as Jaime's uncle, Adriana Barraza as Jaime's grandmother, and Harvey Guillen as Dr. Sanchez.
Related:Don't Worry, Snyderbros, You'll Find Something to Love in the New DCU
Who's Making Blue Beetle (And When and Where Was it Filmed)?
Blue Beetle was filmed in a number of cities from Atlanta, Georgia to El Paso, Texas to Santurce, Puerto Rico. Principal photography began in May 2022 in Atlanta under the working title Mofongo. Filming wrapped in Puerto Rico on July 18, 2022.
The film is bringing in a lot of commendable representation both in front of and behind the camera, with a Puerto Rican director and a Mexican writer. As previously mentioned, Angel Manuel Soto is the director of Blue Beetle and this is his first time leading the charge for a superhero film. The screenplay was written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. Given that the project will no longer be targeted toward a streaming release, the creators were reportedly given more creative liberty to make bold choices when shooting the film. During the same Q&A session mentioned above, Soto talked to media outlets (Collider included) about the behind-the-scenes process:
"Once we started writing the script and I started to create concept art, the studio allowed me to run free in my creativity. Unbeknownst to them and to me, at the time, they were able to see the promise of how we pictured a city, and how we really wanted the city to be, and the bigger realm of this cultural zeitgeist and the impact that this can have culturally, but also in the superhero genre, to try something different. We hoped that people will see it for what it is, which is that it has a lot of love and a lot of heart, and the studio felt like it had the potential to be theatrical."
Zev Foreman, Garrett Grant, and David Siegel contributed as executive producers. Peter Safran and John Rickard are also credited as producers of Blue Beetle, with Pawel Pogorzelski (Midsommar, Nobody) serving as the cinematographer and Bobby Krlic (Beef, Paper Girls) as the composer.
Will There Be a Blue Beetle 2?
With all the behind-the-scenes uncertainty in the DC camp over the past year, this is a question a lot of people are asking. Ultimately, whether Blue Beetle gets a sequel or not will all come down to how well it performs at the Box Office. There have been reports that suggest that James Gunn and Peter Safran may be planning to incorporate Blue Beetle into their overarching plan for the DCU. Gunn has also previously said that Blue Beetle will be "disconnected" from the previous DC movies, which gives it a pretty good chance of fitting into the studio's future plans. What form that takes is something we'll have to wait and see but for now, mark your calendars for August 18 and check out this refreshing new superhero.
FAQs
'Blue Beetle': Release Date, Trailer, Cast, and Everything We Know So Far About the DCU Film? ›
The Blue Beetle movie release date is set for August 18, 2023. This was one of the few movies that DC Studios kept on the slate after James Gunn and Peter Safran took over in late 2022.
What is the release date for Blue Beetle? ›It's a true rarity when the DC film calendar shifts as often as it does and, hopefully, suggests a future for Jaime, his family, and maybe even Ted Kord. Blue Beetle opens in theaters on August 18, 2023.
Will Blue Beetle be in the new DCU? ›The future of the Detective Comics Universe (DCU) is about to be entirely changed. James Gunn and Peter Safran are taking iconic (and obscure) characters in new directions. The first film in this new universe is Blue Beetle.
Is the Blue Beetle movie confirmed? ›Warner Bros has confirmed that Blue Beetle will open in cinemas on August 18. The movie was originally earmarked as a straight-to-streaming release for HBO Max, but that plan changed in December 2021, and the movie is now getting a theatrical release (via The Hollywood Reporter).
Will there be a Blue Beetle movie in 2023? ›The first trailer for the film was released on April 3, 2023, revealing that the film will take place in Palmera City, a new location created for the film. It also showed a first look at the costumes of Dan Garrett and Ted Kord, the previous Blue Beetles before Jaime.
What time does the Blue Beetle trailer come out? ›The announcement arrived just days after details concerning the trailer were shared by scoopers. It was reported that the Blue Beetle trailer would premiere on April 3, 2023, and will run for 2 minutes and 27 seconds.
Will DC make a Blue Beetle movie? ›Blue Beetle (2023) will land in theaters this summer, and it stars none other than Cobra Kai's Xolo Maridueña as superhero Jaime Reyes. He is the first Latino lead in a DC project, bringing an additional layer to the comic book character in the live-action.
Will Blue Beetle be in titans? ›Blue Beetle is one of the main characters of directed to video 2016 animated film Justice League vs. Teen Titans, and one of the tritagonists of its 2017 sequel Teen Titans: The Judas Contract. He is voiced by Jake T. Austin.
Does Blue Beetle have a girlfriend? ›Traci Thirteen, also going by Traci 13 and Girl 13, is a powerful witch. She is the daughter of noted magic skeptic Doctor 13 (Terrence Thirteen) and the Asian sorceress Meihui Lan, a Homo Magi. She is the girlfriend of Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes).
Who is DC's new hero Blue Beetle? ›Jaime Reyes (pronounced “Hi-meh”) is the third character to assume the mantle of Blue Beetle, but is substantially different from his predecessors. Introduced in 1939, the original Blue Beetle, Dan Garret, was a Fox Comics police officer who fought crime with superpowers gained by ingesting Vitamin 2X.
Where can I watch Blue Beetle 2023? ›
Streaming on Roku. Blue Beetle, an adventure movie starring Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, and Damián Alcázar is available to stream now. Watch it on Freebie TV on your Roku device.
What race is Blue Beetle? ›Reyes is chosen by the Scarab as its symbiotic host, attaching itself to his spine and giving him a bio-mechanical blue suit of armor with extraordinary powers. In the comics, Jaime Reyes is of Mexican American heritage and lives in El Paso, Texas.
Is Blue Beetle part of DCEU or DCU? ›Blue Beetle is an upcoming superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name. It will be the fourteenth installment in the DC Extended Universe. The film is set to be released on August 18, 2023.
What movie is coming out on August 18 2023? ›| 1. | Come Out Fighting | |
|---|---|---|
| 3. | NEW | The Master Gardener |
| 4. | Mercy | |
| 6. | NEW | Buddy Games: Spring Awakening |
| 8. | NEW | Bullet Proof |
A Blue Beetle has been a part of the superhero community in the DC Universe in some form since 1939, serving both as a solo adventurer and as a part of teams like the Justice League and the Teen Titans, creating one of the greatest heroic legacies in the DCU.
Can Blue Beetle beat superman? ›In reality, Superman is far faster, stronger, and more durable than Blue Beetle's suit and has vast extensive knowledge of what he is going up against and access to some pretty powerful technology as well. All in all, Blue Beetle doesn't stand a chance against Superman.
What will the Blue Beetle movie be about? ›As it's based on the DC comics character Jaime Reyes, the plot of the upcoming Blue Beetle movie will revolve around a college graduate who gains superpowers after an alien scarab beetle grafts onto him, forming a powerful exoskeleton around his body.
Is Blue Beetle the most powerful DC character? ›Blue Beetle's Powers and Abilities
As Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes is easily among the most powerful of DC's teen heroes, with his suit's abilities limited only by his lack of experience and confidence.
Even though the film focuses on Reyes, the third iteration of Blue Beetle, it also features several references to the Ted Kord iteration of the hero and even widens his story arc by introducing his older sister, Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon). Victoria will be the main villain in Blue Beetle.
Is DC Blue Beetle a hero or villain? ›Well, he's a superhero unlike anyone else in the history of the DC Universe. Here's why. Not only is Blue Beetle a beloved DC character, but the 2023 film will also mark the introduction of the first Latino superhero to the DC Universe.
What is the Blue Beetle's weakness? ›
Blue Beetle has very few physical weaknesses but one of them happens to be another cosmic hero of the DC universe: Green Lantern. The latter's power of will is one of the few power sets in DC that can cripple Blue Beetle with ease.
Can Blue Beetle beat Iron Man? ›When it comes to a battle between Blue Beetle and Iron Man, who wins and how? Mostly, Blue Beetle wins against Iron Man for having a more superior suit.
Who is stronger Blue Beetle or cyborg? ›Blue Beetle is more powerful than Cyborg and would have no issues winning a fight against him. Blue Beetle's alien tech is much more advanced than what Cyborg has at his disposal, taking into account that much of Blue Beetle's suit functions and abilities are largely unexplored.
Who kills Blue Beetle? ›Ted Kord/Blue Beetle II — There's No Squashing This Bug
Sadly, Kord was shot in the head by his former Justice League ally, Maxwell Lord, in 2005's Countdown to Infinite Crisis.
Jaime Reyes is a teenage Hispanic male with light brown skin, short black hair, and brown eyes. He has a thin, but fit frame. He usually wears casual clothing: a gray sweatshirt, a black T-shirt, and form-fitting blue jeans. As Blue Beetle, he resembles an insect in a blue full-body suit, exactly like his namesake.
Who is Blue Beetle's arch enemy? ›Alchemy was able to impart the abilities of the Philosopher's Stone to himself with the material and battled the Blue Beetle. Nemesis to the Atom, when the hero retired, Chronos would become one of the Blue Beetle's most frequent combatants.
What is Blue Beetle secret identity? ›The first Beetle was Dan Garret (later spelled Dan Garrett), who initially gained superpowers from a special vitamin, which was later changed to gaining powers from a "sacred scarab". The original Blue Beetle was featured in not only his own comic but also a weekly radio serial.
Who is Blue Beetle's love interest? ›Jenny Kord plays a huge role in Blue Beetle's origin story
Regarding the relationship between Blue Beetle and Jenny Kord, they started out as friends but will eventually during the movie become romantically engaged as Jenny is set to be Jaime's love interest in the movie.
Blue Beetle is more powerful than Spider-Man and would win in a fight against him. Blue Beetle has more powers and abilities at his disposal and is also faster and more durable. Spider-Man really doesn't have anything up his sleeve to counter Blue Beetle's incredible alien tech.
Who is black beetle DC? ›Black Beetle is an agent of the Reach. He was given that sobriquet by Wonder Girl, a designation that the Reach later used as well, along with his class, warrior. He was the chief of security for the Reach's invasion of Earth.
How did Blue Beetle get his scarab? ›
The scarab was found in the Bialyan temple by archaeologist Dan Garrett on a dig in 1939. The scarab fused with Garrett, and he became the first Blue Beetle of modern times. When Garrett died, he passed the scarab down to his protégé, Ted Kord.
Is The Blue Beetle Batman? ›Ted Kord, also known as Blue Beetle, was a character who was an ally of Batman, sponsor of the Birds of Prey and a close personal friend of Barbara Gordon.
Who was the first Hispanic superhero in DC? ›Story highlights. DC Studios released a trailer for the upcoming Blue Beetle movie directed by Angel Manuel Soto, featuring Xolo Maridueña in the lead role as the first Latino superhero in DC's film history. Here's everything to know about the character. A trailer for DC Studios' Blue Beetle was released.
What does DC. stand for? ›Places. Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia), the capital city and federal district of the United States of America.
Who is Blue Beetle daughter? ›Blue Beetle Updates on Twitter: "Bruna Marquezine is playing "Jenny" who is Ted Kord's daughter. .
Is Blue Beetle in injustice 2? ›Blue Beetle is a character in Injustice 2. He is a gadget-type fighter.
Is Joker part of the DCU? ›brought the DCEU to life starting with Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, although there were some missteps along the way. Todd Phillips recently explained his choice to separate Joker from the rest of the franchise, saying: It's not really connected to that [DC Movie] Universe. And it was really intentionally not.
Are there any new movies coming out in 2023? ›Between theatrical releases and streaming exclusives, 2023 already has a massive movie catalogue. The long-delayed Aquaman sequel and The Flash movie finally land while the MCU kicked off the Multiverse Saga with Phase Five's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy, and in the fall, The Marvels.
What movie comes out july 21st 2023? ›Oppenheimer is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom and United States on July 21, 2023, by Universal Pictures.
What old movies are coming back to theaters 2023? ›- Roman Holiday (1953)
- Casablanca (1942)
- Grease (1978)
- Hairspray (1988)
- National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
- Rain Man (1988)
- The Birds (1963)
- Scarface (1983)
Who is the Beetle super villain? ›
Abner Ronald Jenkins, also known as the Beetle, MACH-1, MACH-2, MACH-3, MACH-IV, MACH-V, MACH-VII and MACH-X, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Is Beetle a Spider Man villain? ›Beetle is a supervillain later turned superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He was a former enemy of the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Daredevil and The Avengers. The Beetle persona has been used by seven individuals.
Who can beat Superman to death? ›While kryptonite is Superman's greatest weakness, he's susceptible to other forms of energy and threats. This makes Billy Batson — aka Shazam, the World's Mightiest Mortal — one of Superman's greatest opponents. Batson can transform himself into an incredibly powerful adult body when he says the magic word "Shazam."
What metal can cut Superman? ›Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous radiation that can weaken and even kill Kryptonians.
Who is the only one who can beat Superman? ›The Man of Steel can only be defeated by Captain Marvel using energy absorption. Captain Marvel, a Kree-Human hybrid, is a cosmic-level superhero who has overcome even greater challenges. Although Superman truly is the pinnacle of strength, if Captain Marvel can find a way to depower him, it's game over for him.
Who will be playing Blue Beetle? ›Xolo Maridueña is DC comics newest superhero. The actor, best known for his role in Netflix's Cobra Kai, is set to play the titular character of Blue Beetle. Here's everything we know about Xolo, Blue Beetle and more.
What is the movie on August 18 2023? ›- NEW. Cracked.
- Come Out Fighting.
- Simulant.
- NEW. Outpost.
- NEW. A Man Called Otto.
- NEW. Rabbit Hole.
Theodore Kord (Earth 4)
Who is the new superhero in DC? ›Meet Circuit Breaker: DC's first major transmasculine superhero will be debuting on February 14, 2023. On February 14, a new DC hero will be debuting in comic books - someone with a lot of potential, and also someone with a background that might just help some fans feel more seen.
Who is the black beetle in DC? ›
Black Beetle is an agent of the Reach. He was given that sobriquet by Wonder Girl, a designation that the Reach later used as well, along with his class, warrior. He was the chief of security for the Reach's invasion of Earth.
What movie comes out on May 19 2023? ›Vin Diesel and Daniela Melchior star in “Fast X.”
Did DC cancel Blue Beetle? ›Blue Beetle survived the recent cancelation streak of DC Films and DC TV projects at Warner Bros. Discovery; however, it did send director Angel Manuel Soto under stress at the time. After the merger between Warner Bros.
Who is the newest Blue Beetle? ›Ted Kord. The replacement Blue Beetle created by Charlton Comics, and later published by Americomics and DC Comics, is Ted Kord, a former student of Dan Garrett, a genius-level inventor and a gifted athlete.