Fans of the DCEU were reasonably floored at the announcement that many DC projects, regardless of where they were in production or how far along the series may have been, were being canceled thanks in part to the merger between Discovery+ and HBO Max. This decision upset not only fans but those that were part of the projects.
Additional insult to injury was added when it was announced that the DC FanDome was also being canceled allegedly due to the commencement of in-person events. The DC FanDome was initially brought about thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, which canceled San Diego Comic-Con during its peak.
DC enthusiasts began to question which properties would remain safe from what seemed like a huge reset for DC and its properties. Films like Batgirl, which had a lot of anticipation behind it thanks to Michael Keaton reprising his role as Batman, but The Flash seems safe, even among the controversy surrounding Ezra Miller.
Luckily, some projects were able to survive the merger unscathed, including Dwayne Johnson Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and, of course, Blue Beetle.
Blue Beetle Features A Predominantly Latino Cast And Some Big Names
According to IMDb, the Blue Beetle film features a mix of veteran and new actors in its cast. Relative newcomer Xolo Maridueña stars in the film as Jaime Reyes, the teenager that eventually gets their powers thanks to the Blue Beetle.
Xolo is most well known for his work in Netflix's Cobra Kai as Miguel Diaz.
George Lopez is among one the higher profile names to star in the film as Uncle Rudy Reyes. Lopez has had an extensive career in television in film, with credits in both acting and producing all throughout his career, including Reno 911 and the George Lopez show, as well as many stand-up specials.
Susan Sarandon joined the cast of Blue Beetle as Victoria Kord, a villainous character that was created for the on-screen adaptation of this comic book property.
Sarandon is a Hollywood legend known for working on films like the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Thelma & Louise, and James and the Giant Peach, with several television and voice acting roles.
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Raoul Max Trujillo and Elpidia Carrillo are playing members of the Reyes family in the Blue Beetle film. Both actors have previously worked together on the incredibly popular Mayans M.C television series.
Trujillo has also appeared on other popular shows like Salem and True Blood, with Carillo having an extensive career as background or side characters in shows like Nashville.
Additional members of the Reyes family will be portrayed by Damian Alcazar and Belissa Escobedo. Alcazar has an extensive acting career that stems as far back as the mid-1980s, starring in both English and Spanish-language television shows and movies.
Much like Xolo, Escobedo is newer to the acting scene but has starred in television shows like American Horror Stories and The Baker and the Beauty.
What Exactly Is The Blue Beetle?
Originally, Blue Beetle was a fictional superhero created by Charles Nicholas that made its first appearance through Fox Comics in the late 1930s. The first iteration of this hero, Dan Garret, had his own comic and weekly radio show.
The second iteration of the character, Ted Kord, was created by Charlton Comics and was eventually taken over by DC Comics, where the character's home is today.
DC Comics created their own version of the character, Jaime Reyes, which is the focal character of the up-and-coming Blue Beetle film.
Canonically, Jaime Reyes is a teenager who discovers the Blue Beetle scarab, the source of the hero's power throughout its extensive comic book history.
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The Blue Beetle film will likely follow the main character, Jaime Reyes, and his discovery of the scarab. The scarab essentially fuses with his spine, allowing Reyes to summon his suit of armor when needed.
The scarab, however, has plans of its own. Reyes, much like the other Beetles before him, quickly learns that the piece of alien technology that blesses him with his powers also has the ability to take over control of the suit at will and make its host do whatever it pleases.
The villain in the comics is one Ted Kord. Although this character doesn't appear to be in Blue Beetle, the character of Victoria Kord will be there in his place, along with Carapax the Indestructible Man, who is trapped in a strong robotic suit.
There is a possibility that the involvement of the Kord name and Carapax's character may likely mean that the story could revolve around VIctoria Kord's company inventing the technology that would trap Carapax in the suit.
It is possible that Kord will use this to her advantage and send Carapax to try and take the scarab technology from Jamie. Some fans have also wondered if there would be a tie-in to Black Adam and Shazam!, as it appears that all three films take place in the same universe.
Given The Recent DC Cancelations, Fans Remain Optimistic About Blue Beetle
With Blue Beetle officially being one of the first Latino leads in a live-action superhero movie, and a film that will feature a lot of Spanish-speaking dialogue, this film places a huge spotlight on Latino culture, and more specifically the Mexican-American culture in Texas.
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Fan also took to Twitter when the original round of cancelations were happening to express hope that Blue Beetle would remain safe from the chopping block. One tweeted, "Please don't let them cancel Blue Beetle #KeepSafeBlueBeetle", with many others echoing that sentiment.
Fans of Blue Beetle are able to breathe a sigh of relief, as it has been announced by the studio that the film is safe and will continue to be produced for release. The decision was also made to release the film in major theaters nationwide rather than stick with its original HBO Max release.
