'Blue Beetle' Final Trailer

The fortunes of Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC movie universe were not improved as much as the studio was clearly hoping with ‘The Flash’. So, it now has to rely on ‘Aquaman’s sequel to end the year and, before that, the riskier introduction of a brand-new hero from the pages of its comic books source.

‘Blue Beetle’ certainly has some appeal –– it features a Latino lead in ‘Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña, here playing a young man who becomes a hero more by accident than design. The tone is certainly closer to the jokier Marvel feel than the gloomy DC that has been prevalent in the last few years.

Though that again is no guarantee of success –– the light-hearted ‘Shazam’ and (to some degree) ‘Flash’ failed to bring the audiences surging in. And ‘Blue Beetle’ faces a lack of quick recognition compared to say Superman or Batman.

Still, perhaps we’re seeing the start of something fresh. And the latest trailer is certainly entertaining.

What’s the story of ‘Blue Beetle’?

Xolo Mariduena as Jaime Reyes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure Blue Beetle,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Hopper Stone/SMPSP/™ & © DC Comics. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC.

Recent college grad Jaime Reyes (Maridueña) 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 Blue Beetle.

‘Charm City Kings’ director Angel Manuel Soto oversaw the new movie, with Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer writing the script.

Who else is in ‘Blue Beetle’?

Elpida Carrillo as Rocio, George Lopez as Uncle Rudy, Xolo Mariduena as Jaime Reyes, Melissa Escobedo as Milagro and Damian Alcazar as Alberto in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure 'Blue Beetle,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Hopper Stone/SMPSP/™ & © DC Comics. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC.

The cast also features George Lopez (as Jaime’s uncle), Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, Belissa Escobedo, Bruna Marquezine, Susan Sarandon and ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ stalwart Harvey Guillén.

Who is this Blue Beetle?

While DC comics fans have known about the character for years, he has far less awareness among general movie fans. In case you need to know, read on...

Originally created by artist Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski and writer Will Eisner for Fox Comics' ‘Mystery Men’ Comics in 1939, Blue Beetle was introduced as Dan Garret, a vigilante who fought crime using powers gained from chemical compound Vitamin 2-X, though that origin was later retconned to an archeologist with a suit and abilities derived from the alien Khaji Da scarab living weapon. He was succeeded by tech whizz Ted Kord, first appearing in Charlton Comics (which bought Fox and was itself later taken over by DC).

The Jaime Reyes version, a creation of Keith Giffen, John Rogers and Cully Hamner for 2006’s ‘Infinite Crisis Issue #5, spawned a titular title two months later in May of that year. In his story, Reyes discovered the Blue Beetle scarab on the way home from school with two of his best friends Paco and Brenda, half-buried in a disused lot. Reyes took the scarab home, curious as to what it might be. That night, the scarab came alive, and grafted itself to the base of Jaime’s spine, and provided him with a suit of extraterrestrial armor, which can be modified to enhance his speed and strength, as well as to create weapons, wings, and shields.

Xolo Mariduena as Jaime Reyes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure 'Blue Beetle,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC.

Maridueña is clearly thrilled to be playing a superhero, especially one who looks like him.

Speaking to Empire, he said:

“The goal was to create a movie for a young me and a young Angel that said, ‘Hey, man, someone who looks like you or comes from a similar background can be a superhero.’ The second thing was to open more doors for people like us. As fun as it is to get into this superhero world where everything is dialed up to 110 per cent, it’s the characters that I’ve most related to.”

‘Blue Beetle’ will be in theaters on August 18th.