Before James Gunn and Peter Safran officially start with the DC Universe reboot, Xolo Maridueña will star as Jaime Reyes in the upcoming DC film, Blue Beetle.
The new trailer confirms the crux of the story – a teenager finds a piece of alien technology and bad guys want it.
It’s a curious thing how it’s taken this long for Blue Beetle to make its big screen debut. The titular superhero is one of DC Comics’ oldest characters, dating all the way back to 1939. However, the latest character to take the mantle, Jaime, wasn’t introduced until 2006.
Most of the adaptations have gone with this interaction, perhaps in an attempt to cater to a younger audience. Unlike his predecessors, who were war-time superheroes/vigilantes (Dan Garret) or genius billionaire inventors (Ted Kord), Jaime, more or less, is forced into a life of crime-fighting.
Not unlike how Eddie Brock meets Venom, Jaime stumbles upon an ancient technology created by extraterrestrials known as the Reach and he’s pretty much bonded with the device from that point.
This sentient device, Khaji Da, imbues Jaime with powers reminiscent of Iron Man, albeit with a hint of Venom.
Another Venom-like fun fact: Jaime and Khaji Da don’t always get along with each other, especially when it comes to how to fight against the bad guys.
While neither Dan Garret nor Ted Kord has appeared in the DC Extended Universe before, Victoria Kord, played by Susan Sarandon, will serve as the main villain of the Blue Beetle film. However, Harvey Guillén has reportedly signed on to play a “secret” character in Blue Beetle. Most speculate that his character is either Ted or Dan as it’s clear in the trailer that both have existed at some point within the film’s universe.
Understandably, there’s fear that Blue Beetle will end up amounting to nothing, and that’s still very much a possibility. But, unlike Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which bombed at the global box office, Blue Beetle will hit theaters after The Flash, which, by the way, is getting a ton of positive praise from early screenings and even Tom Cruise. Given how much money talks in the movie industry, a rare successful box office outing could give Xolo Maridueña a chance to join the DC Universe as its Blue Beetle.
We’ll find out more about Blue Beetle when it hits theaters on August 18 later this year.
