Blue Beetle is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle. The film is produced by DC Studios and the Safran Company, with Angel Manuel Soto directing from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. It is part of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and stars Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle, along with Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez.
Development for the film began in November 2018 with Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer attached to write the script. Angel Manuel Soto was hired to direct the film for HBO Max in February 2021. Xolo Maridueña was cast as Jaime Reyes in August 2021, and the film’s release was shifted from streaming to theatrical in December 2021. Filming took place in various locations, including the Atlanta metropolitan area, El Paso, Texas, and Puerto Rico, from late May to mid-July 2022.
The film’s premise follows Jaime Reyes, a college graduate who becomes the host to the Scarab, an ancient alien relic that grants him a powerful exoskeleton armor, transforming him into the superhero Blue Beetle.
The cast includes Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, Adriana Barraza as Nana (Jaime’s grandmother), Damián Alcázar as Alberto Reyes (Jaime’s father), Raoul Max Trujillo as Conrad Carapax (Victoria Kord’s bodyguard), Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord (a determined businesswoman), and George Lopez as Rudy (Jaime’s uncle). The film also features Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio Reyes (Jaime’s mother), Belissa Escobedo as Milagro Reyes (Jaime’s younger sister), Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord (Jaime’s love interest), and Harvey Guillén as Dr. Sanchez (a scientist working for Victoria). Becky G provides the voice for Khaji-Da, the entity that controls the Scarab.
The development of the film began in 2018 with Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer writing the screenplay, and Angel Manuel Soto was hired as the director in February 2021. Xolo Maridueña was cast as Jaime Reyes in August 2021. The film’s setting is in Palmera City, a fictional location created specifically for the movie. The inspiration for the film came from the video game Injustice 2 and the comic book storyline “Infinite Crisis,” where Jaime Reyes first appeared.
The film’s release was initially planned for HBO Max, but it was later announced to have a theatrical release in August 2023. The first trailer for the film was released in April 2023, generating positive reactions from fans and critics.
Blue Beetle is scheduled for a theatrical release in the United States on August 18, 2023, and it is projected to have a solid opening weekend and overall box office performance.
