Blue Beetle trailer promises a classic superhero origin story
Xolo Mariduena stars as Jaime Reeves, who encounters alien biotechnology in Blue Beetle.
Is there anything better than a good superhero origin story? There's something about watching an ordinary person, struggling with self-doubt, discover their unique hidden strengths and own their power that never fails to capture our imaginations. It's the bread-and-butter of the superhero genre, and we're getting yet another origin story this August, when Warner Bros. releases Blue Beetle, focused on the latest incarnation of the classic comic book character. The first trailer just dropped, and it looks like a fun, family-centric summer film.
The Blue Beetle character first appeared in DC Comics in 1939. Back then, he was a police officer who gained his superpowers by ingesting something called Vitamin 2X, giving him a distinct advantage when fighting crime. The character was rebooted in 1964 by Charlton Comics, in which an archaeologist named Dan Garrett acquired mystical abilities from an ancient Egyptian scarab. The mantle passed to Garrett's student, Ted Kord (and to DC Comics), in 1966. The scarab element also featured in the 2006 retconned Blue Beetle, revealed to be an alien artifact. The scarab bonded with a teenager named Jamie Reyes, and the protective extraterrestrial armor Reyes acquired as a result led to him joining forces with the Teen Titans and Justice League, among others.
Reyes is the Blue Beetle in this new film from the DC Extended Universe, played by Xolo Mariduena (Cobra Kai). It was originally intended for release on HBO Max, but Warner Bros. and DC Films decided to add the film to their slate of upcoming theatrical releases instead. New DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has said Blue Beetle won't be connected to prior films in the DCEU, so if it's a box office success, it could be incorporated into the new franchise. Director Angel Manuel Soto decided not to follow one of the classic storylines, opting instead to cherrypick his favorite moments from the character's entire run.