As revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, Blue Beetle is still on the Warner Bros. Discovery schedule, despite the ongoing restructuring of the DC Extended Universe. The movie stars Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, a young man who becomes a superhero after accidentally acquiring a powerful alien technology that allows him to manifest a weaponized exoskeleton.
Due to the recent merging between Warner Bros. and Discovery, the DC Extended Universe has been going through a complete rework. As Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav revealed last week, the company is now focused on bringing big DC superhero movies exclusively to theaters, a decision that led to the shelving of Batgirl, a live-action film made for HBO Max. Batgirl was not the only project that got axed, as Supergirl and the Wonder Twins movies are reportedly never going into production. It’s no wonder DC fans are panicking right now and eager to know what will remain of the DCEU after the Warner Bros. Discovery restructuring.
Fortunately, a few movies and series seem to have survived the new plans for the DCEU. The Birds of Prey Black Canary-focused spinoff starring Jurnee Smollett is still a go and might still hit HBO Max. The Green Lantern live-action series is also alive and aiming for a 2024 release. James Gunn will also move forward with Season 2 of Peacemaker. And now, thanks to Warner Bros. Discovery insiders, we also know that Blue Beetle survived the cut.
Blue Beetle is helmed by Puerto Rican director Angel Manuel Soto, from a script by Mexican writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. Warner Bros. Discovery has been pushing some diversity on both sides of the camera for Blue Beetle, which fits with the character's comic book origins. In DC Comics, Jaime Reyes is a Mexican-American teenager that replaces genius scientist Ted Kord, the previous Blue Beetle. Details of the movie are still being kept under wraps, but since Blue Beetle has cast Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord, an antagonist created for the film, it’s safe to assume they are sticking close to the comics.
The Latinx cast of Blue Beetle also includes Brazilian star Bruna Marquezine as a love interest for Jaime, Belissa Escobedo as Jaime’s younger sister Milagros Reyes, Raoul Trujillo as Carapax the Indestructible Man, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, and Damián Alcázar. The movie has recently wrapped filming in Puerto Rico, which means the movie’s creative team shot on location in a Latin country.
Initially set for an exclusive release on HBO Max, the live-action Blue Beetle adaptation is now coming to theaters on August 18, 2023. The next DC movie to hit theaters is Black Adam, which is coming on October 21. Check out Black Adam’s trailer below: