James Gunn is not-so-subtly prodding you to help prevent ‘Blue Beetle’ from becoming DC’s next box office bomb

It is no secret that DC has struggled in the past to match up to Marvel. Without the ten years of a solid foundation, it is unlikely that DC will get an Avengers: Endgame in the foreseeable future. But that doesn’t stop studio heads from trying. Spirits have been high since James Gunn and Peter Safran have taken on the brand creatively. 

After Gunn’s success with Guardians of the Galaxy and the soft Suicide Squad reboot, he seems to have the Midas touch. And though it seemed as though he wouldn’t be promoting the newest release, Blue Beetle, he has recently taken to the internet to put his weight behind it. At least, in a matter of speaking. As just a creative director who had nothing to do with the production of the film, Gunn encouraged viewers to go see the film in no uncertain terms.

Though admittedly, Gunn was a little sparing in his enthusiasm for the film, there is no doubt that Blue Beetle’s potential success would benefit him. The director is passionate about telling a good story, no matter what the brand. Guardians 3 was a heartbreaking journey into Rocket’s (Bradley Cooper) past, and Gunn is adamant that Superman: Legacy will focus on the story first and foremost. As someone who just took over DC, having Blue Beetle fail on his watch would not be ideal. But as the Slither director was not directly involved in the movie, it may be out of his hands at this point.

The ship may have sailed on the Blue Beetle

Without the direct influence of a creatively-minded director, Blue Beetle could be a hit or a miss. Gunn’s recent promotion of the film is not an indicator of quality, and there will be no telling how the film will turn out. The film will reportedly not be part of Gunn’s DCU, making its future murky at best. There is no doubt that Blue Beetle has a specific perspective. Adapted from the comic arc of the third Beetle, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), DC is taking a crack at a different perspective often not featured in Marvel.

According to MovieMaker Magazine, the film contains inspirations from Mexican cinema that were significant to the filmmakers. However, Blue Beetle could very easily go the way of Black Adam. With theater-goers preferring the allure of Barbenheimer, another movie about an impressionable teen in a robot suit may not be what fans are yearning for. Blue Beetle could be the best alien robot scarab movie that is out there, but it would still be derivative in some way. Seemingly a mix between Iron Man and Green Lantern, DC is always trying to catch up with Marvel and has become so formulaic that it is easy to predict. But with Gunn taking charge and doing a hard reboot on DC, maybe that is about to change.