The DCEU will be bringing some beloved characters into the spotlight over the next few years. We know we’re getting Batgirl and Zatanna movies, but fans were particularly pleased when it was announced that Angel Manuel Soto has been hired to helm a movie based on Jamie Reyes’ Blue Beetle, with Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña in the lead role.
Information has been relatively thin on the ground since then, but it appears that work has been busily going on behind the scenes and the shoot may be about to commence. The news comes courtesy of Production Weekly, which has just listed Blue Beetle as going before the cameras in Q1, 2022. Manuel Soto promptly retweeted the news, which likely confirms the report is accurate.
Current plans are for this to be an HBO Max Original Movie, as Warner Bros. is eager to expand the audience of their burgeoning streaming platform. Some cool concept art was showcased during the recent DC FanDome that appeared to confirm they’re following the comics’ storyline of the Blue Beetle being a legacy superhero.
In DC Comics, there’s been a number of heroes that have taken this mantle. The golden age hero was Dan Garrett, who gained his powers from a special vitamin. He was succeeded by Ted Kord, who had no superpowers but was a talented engineer, a key member of the 1980s’ Justice League line-up, and seems to be in a mentor role in this movie.
But the most popular and most recent is Jamie Reyes, who discovers an ancient alien battle suit that gives him the powers to fight crime. He’s been in multiple comics, TV shows, and popped up in video game Injustice 2. Here’s hoping they capture the mix of teenage angst and tech-horror that makes him such a fascinating character.
Blue Beetle will release on HBO Max in late 2022/early 2023.
