That sound you hear is Warner Bros. taking a long hard look at how Marvel Studios has elevated so many second-string superheroes into box office sensations and muttering “Why can’t we do that?” And with a new Blue Beetle movie, it certainly sounds like they’re going to try to do just that. And this character feels like he could be a big deal – he has the crazy armor of Iron Man, the teenage angst of Spider-Man, and beneath the costume is a Latino kid, offering Warner Bros. a chance for special first for superhero cinema.
The Wrap has learned that Warner Bros. is developing a Blue Beetle movie, with Mexican-born screenwriter Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer penning the screenplay. No other talent is attached just yet, which suggests this project is still very much in the nascent stages.
In the DC Comics, teenager Jaime Reyes discovers a mystical blue scarab with extraterrestrial origins that fuses with his spine. Naturally, this gives him access to a slick suit of blue armor and an array of powers. In more recent storylines, it’s revealed that this alien tech is supposed to empower the user to take over an entire planet and clear the path for an invading army. Naturally, Jaime resists and uses his great power for great responsibility. This version of Blue Beetle has also been a part of the popular Young Justice animated series.
Blue Beetle is one of the strangest characters to explain succinctly, not because Jaime’s situation is complicated (it’s pretty standard as superhero origin stories go), but because he is the third character to take on that title. The first Blue Beetle was Dan Garrett, who debuted in 1939. Although he made use of a magical scarab, he was very much a typical pulp character, even as he eventually adopted a more superheroic costume and power set. More notable is Ted Kord, who inherited the Blue Beetle title and operated under it for many years. Unlike the other two Blue Beetles, he had no superpowers and used his personal wealth and scientific genius to battle crime and more extreme threats. Interestingly, Ted has continued to play a role in DC Comics even as Jaime has taken over, acting as a mentor and supplier of gadgets and wise advice. I would not be surprised to see a Blue Beetle movie feature an older Ted training Jaime how to be a superhero.
Following the success of Wonder Woman and Black Panther, it’s easy to see why the studio would want to get the ball rolling on this film as soon as possible. Surprise, surprise: audiences like seeing superheroes who aren’t just another white guy and diversity fills theaters, which fills studio coffers. Everyone wins. Quite frankly, it’s about time we saw more Latino superheroes on the big screen and Warner Bros. is leading the charge in that direction. Suicide Squad is a bit of a disaster, by Jay Hernandez’s Diablo offered a splash of cultural texture into a confused movie. And then there’s the upcoming Birds of Prey, which will feature Rosie Perez as Gotham City detective and sometimes superhero Renee Montoya.
We’ll keep you posted as we learn more about the status of Blue Beetle.
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