DC's Next Big Movie Star Just Got Recruited by a Member of the Titans
This may be a time of upheaval for your favorite DC superheroes on the big screen, but at least one project is still confirmed to be happening. Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña is playing Jaime Reyes in a live-action Blue Beetle movie by director Angel Manuel Soto. The movie is set to arrive later in 2023, but for now fans eager for more Blue Beetle content can look no further than a new limited series titled Blue Beetle: Graduation Day. Along with showing the adventures of Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle, Graduation Day has also introduced a new Yellow Beetle antagonist. In the latest issue, Blue Beetle is even visited by one of the members of HBO's Titans.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Blue Beetle: Graduation Day #2. Continue reading at your own risk.
Blue Beetle: Graduation Day #2 is from the creative team of Josh Trujillo, Adrián Gutiérrez, Wil Quintana, and Lucas Gattoni. Blue Beetle's confrontation with the Yellow Beetle, named Dynastes, in the first issue resulted in Superman and the Justice League essentially grounding him. His parents also sent him to Palmera City where Jaime was forced to become a restaurant worker. Of course, it wasn't too long before Dyanstes returned and attacked a Kord Industries building.
Jaime wound up working together with Ted Kord, the original Blue Beetle, and Ted's sister Victoria Kord, to capture Dynastes. Interestingly enough, Victoria Kord is rumored to be the villain of the Blue Beetle movie. With Dynastes defeated, Ted offers Jaime a badge to Kord Industries so they can keep a close eye on him in case The Reach returns from space. It's not apparent if The Reach is actually a threat, but something in space has caused Starfire to pay Blue Beetle a visit. She warns, "The planet is preparing for war, Jaime Reyes! And you're the only one who can stop it!"
What Is the Plot of DC's Blue Beetle Movie?
The Blue Beetle film will follow Jaime, who in the comics is a teenage superhero from El Paso, Texas who becomes fused to an alien scarab and gains superpowers. He is the third character to take on the role of Blue Beetle following the death of Ted Kord. The film will be directed by Angel Manuel Solo, and the cast will also include Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord, Bruna Marquezine as Penny, Belissa Escobedo, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carillo, and Damián Alcázar as members of Jaime's family, and Harvey Guillen in a currently-unknown role.
"It's such a new world and this is my first movie, my first venture into being on the silver screen," Maridueña explained in a recent interview with Comicbook.com. "And so getting to be a part of it all, I just want to be a sponge. I just want to learn as much as possible and have fun. It felt like there was so much anticipation and so much preparation going into the project that by the first day I was like, 'Dude.' It wasn't like the first day we started, we hit the ground running and it was a great time."
Blue Beetle: Graduation Day #2 is on sale now from DC. The Blue Beetle movie debuts in theaters on August 18, 2023.