Things haven’t gone so well for DC when it puts color-coded superheroes front-and-center in a blockbuster comic book adaptation, something Green Lantern star Ryan Reynolds knows all too well having headlined one of the biggest box office bombs of all-time.
Ironically, his Hobbs & Shaw and Red Notice co-star Dwayne Johnson has also shared in the misery after watching his plans for an entire Black Adam franchise go up in smoke at the first hurdle, but it would be fair to say The Rock has been a great deal more gracious than his opposite number, who would go on to spend the next decade and change trashing Green Lantern at every turn.
Based on the early reviews and vastly improved box office projections, Blue Beetle is looking to buck that trend in style, with Reynolds’ Maximum Effort marketing company releasing a tongue-in-cheek statement on the actor, producer, and entrepreneur’s behalf that shows there’s no chance of him experiencing Green Lantern flashbacks based on the color spectrum.
It’s another savvy move from Reynolds’ business empire to both capitalize on the Blue Beetle buzz, give it a little more awareness based on his A-list profile, and continue referencing the fact he holds Green Lantern in such contempt after all this time that it absolutely, positively, and unequivocally must be mocked any time the opportunity even remotely presents itself.
The biggest difference – and a major one at that – is Blue Beetle is actually good, unlike the dumpster fire that clearly continues to haunt the nightmares of its star.