Warning: This article contains spoilers for Blue Beetle.
Blue Beetle, an upcoming film, introduces Jamie Reyes, a young Mexican-American protagonist who stumbles upon a mysterious scarab of unknown origin. This artifact becomes fused with Jamie’s spine, granting him the ability to summon a powerful armored suit known as the Blue Beetle. However, the scarab’s influence over Jamie is far from predictable, often leading to moments where he finds himself controlled by the beetle rather than maintaining control himself. Director Angel Manuel Soto recently shared significant details about the film, shedding light on the emotional journey of the protagonist.
During an interview with MovieMaker magazine (via Reddit), Soto confirmed that Alberto, Jamie’s father, portrayed by Damián Alcázar, will meet his demise at some point in the film. Additionally, Soto shared that the film will feature a sequence where Jamie and his father are reunited in the Afterlife. This particular scene draws inspiration from Gabriel Figueroa’s classic 1960 movie Macario. Xolo Maridueña, the actor portraying Jamie, further emphasized the significance of this storyline development. He said:
“Jaime didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to his father. I want people to understand that if you have your parents, just hug them, because you never know when it’s the last time.”
Blue Beetle Is Part of James Gunn’s DCU
Blue Beetle is an exciting addition to the ever-expanding comic book universe. Spearheaded by James Gunn and Peter Safran, this new vision for the superhero genre kicks off with the highly anticipated film, Superman: Legacy. Soto, in an interview with Total Film, emphasized that while Blue Beetle exists within James Gunn’s DCU, it is not bound by the events or associations of previous films. The movie acknowledges the presence of superheroes in its world but charts its own unique path, free from the constraints of past storylines. With the intention of creating a compelling saga, the first installment of Blue Beetle adopts a traditional three-act structure, laying the foundation for future narrative arcs.
“We are part of the universe, we are part of the world, we are part of the plans that they have been creating for the future instalments of the DCU, but we are not tied to all the films from the past. Yes, our movie lives in the world where superheroes exist. But that doesn’t mean that a certain event, or certain alliance, or certain things from the past dictate where our film is going. Our first movie, the way we wanted to do it, was always with the mentality that we wanted to do two more, at least, and taking the traditional three-act structure of a story, we wanted our first movie to practically be the first act of a saga.”
Joining Maridueña is Susan Sarandon, who embodies the movie’s antagonist, Victoria Kord. They are supported by a talented ensemble cast, including George Lopez as Uncle Rudy Reyes, Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio Reyes, Raoul Max Trujillo as Carapax the Indestructible Man, Adriana Barraza, Jorge Jimenez, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, and Damián Alcázar. Blue Beetle hits theaters on August 18.
