‘We’ve always liked that relationship’: ‘Blue Beetle’ director hoping to explore the sequel-baiting ending in James Gunn’s DCU

Warning: the following article contains spoilers for Blue Beetle.

Blue Beetle has to be one of the easiest movies to cheer for right now; you always hear about new superhero movies with “a lot of heart,” but very few of them ever truly deliver the way that Ángel Manuel Soto‘s cobalt-coated feature does.

But, just as easily as one may cheer for it, one will find it equally easy to fear for Blue Beetle as well. Indeed, despite strong reviews, the film isn’t exactly killing it at the box office right now, and we all know the golden rule of Hollywood; if it doesn’t rake in the dollars, good luck getting that sequel.

But Soto, ever the well-spoken optimist, has no interest in having a bleak outlook on the future of Blue Beetle – of course, when your character is already confirmed to be getting adopted by James Gunn for the new DC Universe, why would you? – and full-sent his faith in the continued adventures of Jaime Reyes with a hype-inducing mid-credits scene.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Soto delved into the train of thought that brought the mid-credits scene in question — a reveal that Ted Kord, the original Blue Beetle and an ally of Batman in the comics, was still alive — and how Gunn’s current roadmap for the DCU bolstered his hopes in exactly the way you would assume.

We really wanted to find a way to bring Ted Kord back. We’ve always liked that relationship between Jaime Reyes and Ted Kord, as a mentor, but also Booster Gold. So, when [DC Studios co-CEOs] James Gunn and Peter Safran came into power, they already promised the whole idea of exploring Booster Gold, and it helped us to keep the idea that Ted Kord is still alive. So, in my mind, if the movie can perform, there’s more adventures to come for Jaime Reyes, and Ted Kord is a part of that setup.

Indeed, when it comes to Blue Beetle’s future in the DCU, the Booster Gold Max series is far and away the favorite for possibly bringing Jaime and Ted back into the fold. Of course, Blue Beetle‘s box office woes could prove to be a fatal thorn in that side yet; so for now, the Beetles face a tragically uncertain tomorrow.

Blue Beetle is currently playing in theaters.