The future of the titular character of Blue Beetle is all but guaranteed after James Gunn’s DC reboot thanks to one upcoming TV project. Since James Gunn was announced as the new co-head of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran in October 2022, much talk has surrounded the lingering projects still expected to be part of the old DCEU. These films include The Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and most importantly, Blue Beetle.
With The Flash expected to reshape the DCEU into the new-look DCU, many were left wondering how a film like Blue Beetle would be impacted. Questions arose over how the film’s story would take shape as it is released after The Flash, but crucially whether Xolo Maridueña’s titular superhero would continue into James Gunn’s DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. After Gunn’s announcement of his first DCU slate in January 2023, it became clear that one TV project all but confirms the continuation of Blue Beetle in the franchise after the release of his own solo film.
Booster Gold’s TV Show Surely Means Blue Beetle Will Return In The DC Universe
The project in question is Booster Gold, which James Gunn confirmed to be in development as a TV show in Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Throughout DC Comics’ history, Booster Gold and Ted Kord – the Blue Beetle before Jaime Reyes – were best friends. They were initially introduced upon joining the Justice League, and have since been portrayed as near-inseparable across many comic iterations. This included their own comic series entitled “Blue & Gold”, which bodes well for Blue Beetle’s DCU continuation due to the character’s friendship with Booster Gold.
While it is worth pointing out that the upcoming Blue Beetle DC film will feature Jaime Reyes’ version of the character, not Ted Kord, the DCU could easily apply Ted and Booster Gold’s comic book relationship to Jaime and Booster. This would fit with James Gunn wanting younger iterations of characters for franchise longevity. While Blue Beetle’s DCU future is unclear, the inclusion of Booster Gold as a TV show provides ample opportunity to pair the two together in the future given the characters’ long comic history of being best friends.
Why Blue Beetle Should Be Part Of James Gunn’s DC Universe (Even Without Booster Gold)
Regardless of a Booster Gold TV show, there are several reasons why Blue Beetle should still be part of James Gunn’s DCU. Firstly, Blue Beetle is a lesser-known character from DC Comics. As is clear with a lot of Gunn’s announcements, the DCU will provide a healthy mix of DC A-list characters with the less popular heroes. Films like Superman: Legacy, the adaptation of “The Brave and the Bold” that will include Batman, and Wonder Woman as part of the Paradise Lost TV show provide the DCU with its flagship characters. However, Swamp Thing, Creature Commandos, The Authority, and even Booster Gold allow for lesser-known DC properties to shine.
Blue Beetle sequels would only further this, with the DCU focusing on another smaller character that has a wealth of intriguing stories and characters. Also, the decision to make Jaime Reyes the main live-action version of Blue Beetle is great for Latin American representation on film. Xolo Maridueña is a fantastic up-and-coming actor, and he should be able to explore the character beyond 2023’s Blue Beetle. All of this, combined with a potential Booster Gold crossover, means that Blue Beetle should not be the end of the character’s DC journey on film and the character will hopefully play an integral role in James Gunn’s new-look DC Universe.
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