It’s fair to say that the ongoing DC Comics film franchise has been a cascade of disasters with occasional breaks for quality. The Snyder years have thankfully ended, despite the unending fury of the insufferable fanbase, and James Gunn now reigns supreme. However, there are a few projects that were announced during the previous era that are still being made.Blue Beetlemight be the most interesting of the bunch.
James Gunn stepped inas the main creative head of the DCU, and he’s prepared to make some big changes. Films likeShazam 2andThe Flashare holdovers, but the new direction of a lesser-known character likeBlue Beetlewould be the perfect time to change the franchise forever.
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What isBlue BeetleAbout?
Blue Beetleis the long-awaited cinematic debut of underground fan-favorite hero Jaime Reyes. Reyes was introduced to the DC Comics continuity as part of theInfinite Crisisevent back in 2006,but the Blue Beetlehas been around for decades. The Beetle was a fixture of Fox Comics, then a central figure of Charlton Comics, and finally a minor player in DC’s stable. Reyes is the third character to wear the mantle, but he has almost nothing in common with the first two Beetles.
Reyes joined the fold after the death ofthe previous Blue BeetleTed Kord. Jaime Reyes gains a powerful suit of living armor and an attached suite of energy weaponry through his physical bond with an alien scarab. In his early hero career, the scarab did all the work, but he’s gradually gotten ahold of his gifts. The character is still a bit obscure, but he’s become beloved thanks to his iconic double-act with Booster Gold and his appearance in the hit cartoonBatman: The Brave and the Bold.
Blue Beetlewill catch JaimeReyes right after college. He’s been living it up in the fast-paced world of higher education, but he’s on his way back to his hometown. Jaime’s Hispanic family will be a key part of his story. After returning to Palmera City, Reyes will find himself attached to the typical scarab and gifted with the superpowers they provide. Kord’s role in the story seems to have shifted dramatically, as his name is emblazoned on a massive skyscraper and attached to the film’s main antagonist. Reyes will have to battle Victoria Kord and Carapax, the Indestructible Man for the fate of his family and his future.
CanBlue Beetlefit into James Gunn’s DCU?
Warner Bros. has been promising the production ofBlue Beetlesince at least 2018. The film’s initial announcement came one month before the release of James Wan’sAquamanand one year after the release of the original cut ofJustice League. At the time, respected horror film producer Walter Hamada had a clever scheme to revitalize the brand. Hamada imagined a series of mid-budget superhero films, each of which would releasedirectly onto HBO Max. Multiple DCEU projects would come out each year under this schedule, allowing the more modest productions to fuel hype for the big theatrical entries. This novel concept would have almost certainly fixed many of the franchise’s top-down issues, but it would have also required an executive to willingly release a film that might not make a billion dollars. Naturally, they abandoned the smart pitch in favor of betting the entire brand on every blockbuster, a strategy that’s slowly killing the film industry.
Blue Beetlehas escaped the burning shipthat took downBatgirl. Instead of being part of Hamada’s plan to fix the DCEU, it’s the first proper entry into the DCU. It will be separated from the films that came before it, but heavily linked to the projects to come. The true beginning of the DCU’s first arc is set to be the upcomingSuperman: Legacy, which is still two years away, butBlue Beetlecould set the tone. James Gunn has announced a long schedule of upcoming projects, butBeetleremains an outlier. It’s no surprise that Gunn has also announcedan upcomingBooster GoldTV project. Comic book fans have been crying out forBlue & Goldfor years, and it’s too good an idea to pass up. Beetle can also be a recurring part of the story for characters likePeacemakeror even Batman.
It’s clear thatBlue Beetlehas undergone a strange road to its current place in the franchise. It could be seen as a relic of an earlier era of DC’s cinematic efforts, but it’s clearly being updated to fit the new direction.Blue Beetlerepresents James Gunn’s understandingof the basic principle that can make this cinematic universe concept succeed. Start with a foundation of solid solo movies before gradually building to the big team-up projects.Blue Beetlemight be the first step in the right direction for a franchise that could become universally beloved, but it could also just be a fun introduction for a character who has finally earned his spotlight.
