movie review for blue beetle

Blue Beetle

At first blush, there are few unexpected notes to “Blue Beetle.” When a baddie says, “The love you feel for your family makes you weak,” you know the hero will prove that claim wrong. The villain, Victoria ( Susan Sarandon ), is hardly configured; it doesn’t take much guessing to know they’re a metaphor for the past and present ills of white-American imperialism. Love will prevail. Self-discovery will happen. And yet, “Blue Beetle” is surprisingly politically spry; the family-bound narrative is shockingly pure; its comedy swerves away from low-hanging memeification. Instead, the film cares more about how these characters mesh.

While the Blue Beetle character dates back to 1939, the updated, culturally specific incarnation of Jaime Reyes didn’t grace DC pages until 2006. Since then, comic book movies have become the center of American pop culture. But those films have only recently attempted to touch every corner of human existence. Marvel Studios has, for instance, the “ Black Panther ” series and “ Eternals ,” Sony has the animated “ Spider-Man ,” while DCU has “ Black Adam ,” “ Aquaman ,” “Birds of Prey,” and, to a lesser extent, the “ Justice League ” film. While diverse, the DCU movies have mostly avoided locking characters into any sort of cultural specificity. “Blue Beetle” marks a sharp break from that unwritten edict.

Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto (“ Charm City Kings ”), this heartwarming, crowd-pleasing comic book flick is less serious and more colorful than the tonally dour mood of many contemporary superhero films.

A mountain of love falls fast when Jaime (an endearing Xolo Maridueña) arrives home from college to the fictional Palmera City; hugs, jokes, and genuine affection compose these early scenes. But all’s not well with the Reyes family: Jaime’s father, Alberto ( Damián Alcázar ), recently lost his auto shop business. Now, Jaime’s childhood home is in danger of being repossessed by Kord Industry. Despite his pre-law degree, Jaime struggles to land a job. He goes to work with his younger waggish sister Milagro ( Belissa Escobedo ) as help at a resort.

Much of “Blue Beetle” concerns the economic disparity between the haves and have-nots, particularly regarding imperialist powers. A person like Jaime can do all the right things: go to college, remain humble, and be pleasant—yet his background, a poor Mexican residing in the disadvantaged Edge Keys neighborhood, will always limit his future. However, he thinks he finds a lifeline when he steps in between the philanthropic Jenny Kord ( Bruna Marquezine ) and her ruthless aunt Victoria. Though Victoria fires him, Jenny offers him a job if he’ll meet with her the next day at Kord headquarters.

From there, the script by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer turns toward convenience to speed up the narrative: Jenny attempts to steal a technologically advanced blue scarab before Victoria uses its power to develop super-soldiers; Jenny puts it into Jaime’s unsuspecting hands to smuggle out; Jenny never checks back on the scarab—though she has Jaime’s number—until Jaime goes looking for her. It’s a jumble of nonsensical events that get us to Jaime becoming symbiotically linked with the scarab and getting a technologically sharp blue suit.

Some light prep work follows: Jaime must learn how to use his new powers, sparks of romance kick up, origin stories spring forth—you know, the usual comic book beats. These are arguably the weakest components of “Blue Beetle,” particularly because they’re so inarticulately composed. Whatever doom Victoria provides doesn’t jump off the page, rather, the ever-capable Sarandon adds smart beats and nuanced quirks to raise this baseline villain above the mundane. Victoria’s grunting, stoic henchman, Conrad ( Raoul Max Trujillo ), goes much of the film as a bruising, immovable obstacle until Dunnet-Alcocer crams an entire backstory in the narrative’s final ten minutes. Jenny and Jaime also lack chemistry, partially because Marquezine can’t help but overact as she turns up every facial expression to their breaking point.

Those shortcomings, however, do not negate what works in “Blue Beetle.” For one, the script and actors mine culturally specific references to the superhero parody series “El Chapulín Colorado” and the telenovela “María Mercedes,” keeping scenes alive and fresh (a Vicks Vapor Rub joke left me doubled-over laughing). Its political invocations, such as an allusion to the School of the Americas (a major topic to cover in a big-budget film) and a harrowing scene of a raid upon the Reyes home, while overwrought in its use of slow motion, humanizes endangered emigrant families, are daring subplots to add.

Though the action sequences are unremarkable, they still carry some vigor because of this infectiously entertaining ensemble: Adriana Barraza (“ Babel ”) is a walking, talking highlight reel of punchlines, and George Lopez as the conspiracy theorist Uncle Rudy displays a tremendous elasticity, pulling out animated pratfalls and hilarious one-liners with ease.

At the beginning of “Blue Beetle,” you know the line “The love you feel for your family makes you weak” will ultimately be proven wrong through some narrative device. Soto’s superhero flick, however, also makes family the film’s strength for an enriching time at the movies. “Blue Beetle” might not break the mold, but it does break expectations.

In theaters Friday, August 18th.

Robert Daniels

Robert Daniels is an Associate Editor at RogerEbert.com. Based in Chicago, he is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) and Critics Choice Association (CCA) and regularly contributes to the New York Times , IndieWire , and Screen Daily . He has covered film festivals ranging from Cannes to Sundance to Toronto. He has also written for the Criterion Collection, the Los Angeles Times , and Rolling Stone about Black American pop culture and issues of representation.

Xolo Mariduena as Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle
Adriana Barraza as Nana Reyes
Damián Alcázar as Alberto Reyes
Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord
Raoul Max Trujillo as Conrad Carapax / Carapax the Indestructible Man
George Lopez as Uncle Rudy Reyes
Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio Reyes
Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord
Harvey Guillén as Dr. Sanchez
Gabrielle Ortiz as Tia Letty
Ángel Manuel Soto
Bobby Krlic
Craig Alpert
Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer

Cinematographer

Pawel Pogorzelski

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Blue Beetle Reviews

The Blue Beetle emerges as a noble superhero, so averse to wanton violence that it’s amusing to watch him apologize to some of the villains he’s forced to defend himself against.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 3, 2024

Blue Beetle is the kind of throwback that reminds us just how far we’ve come with comic book movies... Especially when the studio behind them plays it so safe, the end result is as bland and flavorless as this.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jul 3, 2024

There's a raid on the family home by Kord's private army that's easily the most emotionally devastating scene in any 21st century DC movie (you heard me, Martha), and would stand toe-to-toe with many of Marvel's as well.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 25, 2024

Ten years ago, Angel Manuel Soto's "Blue Beetle" would have been a hit. But it appears at the lowest point of the genre to tell basically the same story. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Jan 18, 2024

The key is that family unit and the characters... I like this family. I want to see more of this family. I care about this family.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Dec 2, 2023

The film could have easily been called Blue Beetle & His Amazing Family. The filmmakers are more concerned with the supporting players than the superhero they push to the background.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Nov 18, 2023

Practically everything related to the superhero saga is so formulaic that the dialogue track could get swapped with that of a dozen other superhero flicks and no one would know the difference. Where the film scores is in its moments dealing with family.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Nov 8, 2023

If audiences still want movies as an art form a few years from now, and we end up with an inevitable wave of nostalgia for superhero films, it seems clear to me this one will be quickly reclaimed as an unsung classic of the genre.

Full Review | Nov 4, 2023

It’s ok for superhero stories to be fun, creative, and inviting, all things "Blue Beetle" is, suggesting that a future outing, should this film not be a oner in the new DCU, would not only be absolutely welcomed, it would shoot up to hotly-anticipated.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 31, 2023

The adventure of the first hero in the upcoming DCU, with its blend of humor, heart, and emotion in a Latin key, has become a strong contender to rise to the podium with the best comic book adaptations of the year.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Oct 31, 2023

There's a sweet, important message in here about the importance of family, but sadly it's buried in a heavily cliched superhero flick whose beats you can list off well before they happen.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Oct 30, 2023

... What distinguishes Soto's work is the emotional honesty that is present in the work of his entire cast. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Oct 20, 2023

Blue Beetle is a half-baked comedy and an even more pitiful melodrama about the importance of family. It feels aimless, as if it were cut down from under the knees before it started.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 6, 2023

Blue Beetle has moments that are plentifully enjoyed, overall when the humor works, although it does so at the cost of those clichés it supposedly aims to avoid. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Oct 5, 2023

That love that is so authentically Latino is a key element in the story. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 3, 2023

Blue Beetle generates just enough goodwill to warrant a tepid recommendation.

Full Review | Sep 27, 2023

Blue Beetle is an amiable, sincere, and fitfully enjoyable piece in the superhero genre that entertains and engages in both thrills and poignancy thanks to its grounded approach and Soto’s focus on family over special effects. Recommended.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 24, 2023

Blue Beetle’s director, Angel Manuel Soto, and screenwriter, Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, could have concocted a family comedy with these engaging characters, eliminating the trite superhero theatrics, and they probably would have had a stronger film.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 23, 2023

Blue Beetle is charming, disposable pop entertainment. Not every film needs to be a apocalyptic spectacle.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Sep 21, 2023

While the special effects are a little clunky here, the non-action scenes featuring Jaime’s funky family circle are invariably warm, inviting, and fun.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 20, 2023

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Blue Beetle review: An authentic, funny, sometimes formulaic origin story of resilience

Xolo Maridueña stars as Jaime Reyes, the first Latino comic book character to headline their own live-action superhero movie.

Yolanda Machado is a Digital Editor at Entertainment Weekly. Her work has appeared on GQ, ELLE, Marie Claire, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and more. She was also a critic for TheWrap, and former podcast host of The LatinX Factor. She worships the 3 B's: Beyonce, Broadway, and bedtime.

Modern superhero films have kind of mastered a formula: a comfort food of acts and arcs defining who and what makes a hero. Franchises were built across the past couple of decades with select champions saving the world onscreen… again and again. Yet in the 15 years since a once-scrappy Marvel Studios turned comic book movies into pop culture juggernauts, not a single headlining live-action superhero has been Latino. Surprising, considering nearly a third of the domestic box office comes from Latinos, but that's a whole other story.

It's in this atmosphere, in 2023, that Blue Beetle finally makes its debut with the first Latino character fronting their own superhero film, one that is written, directed, and starring Latinos. And the weight of a community, as unfair as it is, will once again ride on the shoulders of one movie.

Blue Beetle is stuck somewhere in between what is known as the DCEU (i.e. the darker, grittier movies of the Zack Snyder-led "DC Extended Universe") and the DCU (i.e. the newly revamped cinematic universe from the studio's current guy-in-charge James Gunn). Much like the community it represents, the film doesn't really belong to either, though canonically it references other DC heroes like the Flash and Superman. It stands alone, proudly and loudly boasting its Mexican American roots, and making room for an authenticity that elevates a somewhat familiar origin story by creating its own identity so hella Mexican American that if it were to be called anything else, it would be: ¡A huevo!

Translation: F--- yeah!

Directed by Angel Manuel Soto ( Charm City Kings ) and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer ( Miss Bala ), the film stars Cobra Kai 's Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, a new college graduate returning home to the fictional Palmera City before jetting off to law school. That is until his parents inform him of what really has been going on at home while he has been away. Papi, Jaime's dad Alberto (Damían Alcáza), has lost his job, and the Reyes family is about to lose their home with no financial security. (Both Alberto and Jaime's abuela/Nana — played by Adriana Barraza — are undocumented.) As the eldest child, and the only one with a college degree, Jaime assumes he can get to work and help his family out, but instead finds only a fancier cleaning gig for the CEO of Kord Industries, Victoria Kord ( Susan Sarandon ).

On his first day, he steps in the middle of a fight between Victoria; her right-hand muscle, Ignacio, a.k.a. Conrad Carapax (Raoul Trujillo); and her niece, Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine). One thing spirals into the next and Jaime inadvertently helps Jenny steal an ancient Scarab. Victoria hopes to use this piece of highly advanced alien technology to build the ultimate military machine, but the Scarab claims Jamie as its new host, transforming him (through a hilarious series of events involving his family) into the armor-clad Blue Beetle.

Blue Beetle differs from the comics in a few ways. Notably, Carapax's backstory is much different. In the source material, Carapax is an archeologist who haphazardly fuses his brain to an indestructible robot. The film turns him into a Guatemalan war veteran with a tragic origin story that will be all too familiar for some immigrants. Jaime is also aged up some (he's a teen in the comics), and is from Palmera City vs El Paso, Texas. Khaji-Da, which is the voice of the Scarab (played by Becky G ), is already self-aware in the film and acts a bit more like (okay fine) Spider-Man's Suit Lady from Spider-Man: Homecoming (though a bit more stubborn).

A far cry from the terrible graphics of The Flash , Soto's action sequences are exciting and impressive. Each fight is well choreographed with not a single shot wasted, particularly in scenes where Maridueña is learning about his abilities. Some may liken that moment to Spider-Man: Homecoming , but it's here where having a Latino team behind the film matters. Jaime's transformation to the Blue Beetle happens before his family's eyes and instead of running away, the Reyes' each address it with love, some more teasing, and a lot of animo.

What does animo mean? Essentially it translates to "don't give up," but the feeling is more like "get your ass up, stop crying, and try again." Latinos are used to being under-appreciated and left out. The entertainment industry is in Los Angeles, a city where nearly 50 percent of its population is Latino , and still onscreen ( and print ) visibility is in the single digits. According to the 2023 UCLA Diversity Report , Latinx representation is less than 3 percent across theatrical films, and 6.1 percent of streaming films — a number that seems to keep dwindling despite how in 2022 Latinos bought 29 percent of all movie tickets.

The Latino community is not a monolith, this is true. In fact, it really is only in the United States where people from 23 different countries, with different dialects and different cultures, all get tossed under the same umbrella and then are expected to all connect to the same singular story. Blue Beetle doesn't demand this of its viewers, filling tiny moments (El Chapulin Colorado, Maria la del barrio , vaporu... just to name a few) with such specificity that there's no question this is a story about a Mexican American family. It smoothly weaves in messages of displacement and gentrification, while also showing strength, honor, and pride.

The cast, specifically the Reyes' family, is made up of Mexican and Mexican American actors, a choice made by Soto, who is Puerto Rican. While this may seem like a small thing to someone outside of the Latino community, this is central to why the story works. Because of the dearth of authentic Latino stories, the few that are made have to contain a story that speaks to every single Latino/a/e/x — one to represent all 62.5 million Latin Americans living in the United States. Selena starred Puerto Rican Jennifer Lopez, La Bamba starred Filipino American Lou Diamond Phillips, The Mask of Zorro starred Spaniard Antonio Banderas and Welsh Catherine Zeta-Jones, the classic West Side Story (1963 ) only starred one Latina, Rita Moreno, and on and on. Blue Beetle is one of the rare opportunities to celebrate a specific part of the Latin community, and it revels in that specificity, only adding more heart to Jaime's journey to becoming a hero.

In a standout moment near the final act, Soto pays homage to Latina women. It's subtle but clear, and no mistaking the message: Latinas are strong and fierce women who will defend their loved ones with every ounce of themselves. Fight now, cry later. It's an endearing and different messaging for a culture that is still battling to overcome its own machismo.

Though at times there's some clunkiness around how and where Jaime fits in this superhero-filled world, it very much sticks to a very basic origin story — albeit one with lots of messaging around assimilation, gentrification, and resilience, and a script full of humor, slang, and specific visuals that wink at the Latino community. Much of the comedy is well-timed and witty, but others — some George Lopez jokes specifically — feel forced or more loud than funny. Though this is largely the kind of comedy Lopez is known for, playing Jaime's Tio has the comic delivering some of the most sincere moments that far outweigh the often brash nature of his comedy delivery, making some of those jokes land flat.

But the biggest flaw is not allowing Carapax's backstory to be revealed sooner. There's a lot of very specific history that is carried by that revelation, one that is recognized by many Latinos. Adding a name like "School of the Americas" — which is a very real and very controversial school that once existed in the US-controlled Panama Canal zone (later existing in Ft. Benning, Ga. until its doors were closed in 2000) and was nicknamed the "school for dictators" — requires more than a small flash for a fulfilling arc. For the most part, Carapax says very little, the film mainly playing on his appearance. When his story is fleshed out, it is too simple, too quickly shoved in as a last-minute view into his mindset.

Still, Blue Beetle never loses sight of the community it seeks to honor, not once pandering nor offering surface-level representation of what it means to be Latino. Latinidad is complex — it's more than where you were born, what language you speak, or what food you eat. But one thing it's full of is heart, and Blue Beetle has plenty of that to go around. Animo! Grade: B+

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‘Blue Beetle’ Review: A Hero Story That’s All in the Family

The plot is boilerplate and the superhero is not particularly compelling. At least his family members steal the show.

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In a film scene, several family members stand around a small dining table, laughing and pointing.

By Maya Phillips

Here’s what Warner Bros. and DC think we need: another superhero movie about an earnest young man suddenly forced to shoulder responsibility and fight for justice.

Here’s what we actually need: A superhero movie about a badass nana with a secret revolutionary past. Guess which movie “Blue Beetle,” premiering in theaters Friday, delivers?

However, credit must be given for including a rebel grandmother, who, though not the movie’s titular superhero, is one-fifth of the lovable Mexican family that enlivens this paint-by-numbers superhero film, directed by Ángel Manuel Soto and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer.

The actual protagonist is Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), a fresh-faced college graduate who arrives home to find his family struggling financially. Reyes is fruitlessly casting around for a job until he meets Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), the chic heiress of Kord Industries, a colossal tech company run by her great-aunt, Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon). When Jenny hands Jaime a stolen scarab hidden in a fast-food box, Jaime discovers the beetle is a sentient piece of ancient alien tech that has a mind of its own. It fuses with Jaime, protecting him and granting him the ability to fly, heal quickly and create any weapon he imagines. As Victoria aims to recover the beetle to create armies of destruction, Jaime must prevent her from getting it and keep his family — and the world — safe.

“Blue Beetle” offers a formulaic narrative — so predictable, in fact, that you can catch the tragic death in Jaime’s hero origin story coming from three counties away. Other superhero benchmarks are also at play: the young man thrashing around while adjusting to his new powers; clunky battles that look like a big-screen re-creation of a 5-year-old’s BattleBots; hard-won moral lessons that are really clichés. (During a fight, Victoria’s brutal bodyguard declares, “The love you feel for your family makes you weak”; turns out Jaime’s familial love actually empowers him — who knew?) This unremarkable story, along with cheap-looking visual effects and Soto’s colorless direction, is a prime example of somnambulist filmmaking that lulls the audience into a mindless stupor.

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‘blue beetle’ review: xolo maridueña shines in entertaining and emotional dc entry.

Ángel Manuel Soto directs the first live-action superhero movie built around a Latino protagonist, with Susan Sarandon as the icy military-grade arms developer set on harnessing his powers.

By David Rooney

David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

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XOLO MARIDUEÑA as Jaime Reyes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “BLUE BEETLE,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

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Blue Beetle is the kitschy sort of superhero throwback DC should have been making years ago

Director ángel manuel soto’s new blue beetle movie checks all the flashy, formulaic boxes warner bros. should have been focusing on when it first started trying to build a modern cinematic universe..

By Charles Pulliam-Moore , a reporter focusing on film, TV, and pop culture. Before The Verge, he wrote about comic books, labor, race, and more at io9 and Gizmodo for almost five years.

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A young man in a dark blue form-fitting exoskeleton adorned with glowing neon pining across the chest.

Even if it weren’t being positioned as one of the first projects introducing audiences to Warner Bros.’ shiny new cinematic universe of films based on DC Comics characters , director Ángel Manuel Soto’s Blue Beetle movie would still have all the makings of a proper franchise starter. Unlike many of the studio’s superhero features from before James Gunn and Peter Safran came on to lead its efforts, Blue Beetle feels like the end result of a creative team thoughtfully executing a plan to replicate certain elements of what’s made rival studio Marvel’s films so successful — and not just Warner Bros. clumsily trying to play catch-up.

In Blue Beetle and its celebration of Mexican culture, you can plainly see the outsize influence that Marvel’s blockbusters like Black Panther have had on Warner Bros.’ thinking about what makes for a good origin story. But for all the promise Blue Beetle has, it unfolds like such a studied recreation of the hits that have come before it that the movie ends up feeling like an awkward throwback that should have been in theaters a decade ago.

Set in an aggressively neon corner of DC’s multiverse where masked vigilantes don’t seem to be a thing most people regularly think about, Blue Beetle tells the story of how recent college graduate Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) unwittingly becomes a superhero after a chance encounter with a strange bug-like piece of technology that fuses itself to his nervous system.

As the eldest child born to two proud immigrants who upended their lives in Mexico in order to start new futures in the US, Jaime feels a deep obligation to make his entire family proud. Jaime wants his father Alberto (Damián Alcázar) and his mother Rocio (Elpidia Carrillo) to know how much he appreciates everything they’ve done to give him and his sister Milagro (Belissa Escobedo) opportunities to succeed. That love also extends to Jaime’s sewing-obsessed grandmother Nana (Adriana Barraza) and his conspiracy theory-minded uncle Rudy (George Lopez). Even though they all take joy in embarrassing him at every opportunity they get, he’s able to take it in stride because he understands that’s just how his family expresses affection.

Whereas you could usually expect the civilian loved ones of a fledgling hero in the making to recede into the background as this kind of movie’s focus turns toward the fantastic, Blue Beetle pulls the other Reyeses even closer to Jaime as its story kicks into gear. It’s an interesting choice that’s meant to make Jaime’s transformation into the Blue Beetle feel distinct from other superhero movie narratives where young people are whisked away from everything they know while saving the world. It’s also one of the film’s ways of lovingly depicting the Reyeses as the average kind of tight-knit Latino family unit that audiences can recognize and see themselves in.

It’s actually kind of impressive how Blue Beetle manages to frame Jaime’s entire immediate family as his answer to your average superhero’s Guy in the Chair without really feeling like it’s stretching itself too thin by sending them all off to deal with different subplots. But that feat is somewhat undercut by the way that Blue Beetle uses much of its (thankfully breezy) two-hour runtime to tell a tale so rote and by the numbers that it feels like it’s mostly trying to play to younger theatergoers who just haven’t seen all that many of these types of movies yet.

In stark contrast to the Reyes family and the strong performances that bring their novel on-screen dynamic to life, Blue Beetle ’s power-hungry villain Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) and her rebellious niece Jenny (Bruna Marquezine) are written with a noted lack of depth that leaves neither actor with all that much to sink their teeth into.

Though Blue Beetle brings all of its players together with an action-packed plot that puts Jaime forth as the one person capable of stopping Victoria — a war profiteer whose casual racism is embodied in her dark relationship with a man known as Carapax (Raoul Max Trujillo) — from becoming a global threat, it does so in a way that feels surprisingly dated.

There’s a lot about Blue Beetle that makes it seem like a well-polished relic from the bygone era of comic book films when Halle Berry was still doing double duty as Catwoman and Storm. The movie’s cheesy sense of humor and its whiz-bang action sequences — which put Jaime in the passenger’s seat as the Blue Beetle suit’s built-in artificial intelligence Khaji Da (Becky G) takes over his body — may delight kids and passionate comic book fans who are just hyped to see their favorite character in live action. But viewers hoping to get a taste of the new and improved approach to telling DC stories that Gunn and company have insisted DC Studios is committed to are likely to find Blue Beetle rather lacking despite all of its heart.

Viewers might be intrigued to see just what all Blue Beetle has to say and tease about the future that Warner Bros. and DC are cooking up for other heroes who, one imagines, Maridueña’s Jaime will end up meeting at some point in the near future. But by the time Blue Beetle ’s end credits start rolling ahead of a pretty predictable mid-credits teaser, there’s just as solid a chance you’ll find yourself thinking that it would have been more memorable had Warner Bros. not taken so long to get it into theaters.

Blue Beetle is in theaters on August 18th .

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Blue Beetle Does the Superhero Thing Right

We joke sometimes about how many times the movies have regurgitated Batman and Spider-Man’s origin tales for us, but there’s a reason those stories continue to (mostly) work. The fundamental appeal of superheroes is in the becoming and not so much the being. Origin tales have an excuse to spend time with these characters and the people around them before the transformation happens, which gives us a chance to care for them. Relatability is not always the most important thing in movies — but it is important in superhero movies. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Even by origin-tale standards, however, Ángel Manuel Soto’s Blue Beetle is deeply invested in both its hero’s background and his family. That’s sort of the point, and the primary source of the film’s appeal. When we first meet Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), he’s just arrived home to the coastal metropolis of Palmera City after graduating college. He discovers that his working-class neighborhood is being gentrified out of existence and that his family is set to lose their house because their landlord has tripled the rent. Jaime and his sister, Milagro (Belissa Escobedo), take service jobs at a fancy local resort and find themselves in the middle of a squabble between an arms manufacturer, Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), and her do-gooding niece Jennifer (Bruna Marquezine). Somehow (don’t ask), Jaime winds up with a mysterious scarab, which then takes over his body. He grows blue armor, enormous bug legs (arms?), and massive wings, and starts zooming uncontrollably across the skies of Palmera City while a robotic voice in his head barks commands and warnings to him.

It’s a familiar setup, and it follows familiar beats from there: Victoria wants to harvest and control the technology, Jaime and Jennifer unite to fight her, there’s an evil henchman who has access to similar cybernetic technology, etc., etc., ad infinitum. But in the details, Blue Beetle comes alive — in the warmth with which the Reyes family is depicted, for example, or in Jaime’s utter cluelessness as he tries to control his newfound powers. Maridueña conveys the overwhelmed young hero’s anxiety with real charisma; the more helpless he is, the more we like him. The supporting characters fit tidily into types, but even there, the actors commit. As Jaime’s loud, oddball inventor uncle Rudy, George Lopez goes big and pretty much steals every scene he’s in. Sarandon, by contrast, is merely cashing a check, but the movie isn’t too interested in her anyway.

Blue Beetle is being presented as a superhero movie for the Latino community, and it is, but it’s not particularly pandering or opportunistic. That said, Soto knows how to milk his audience’s goodwill: When Blue Beetle’s robot-voice companion started speaking Spanish during one rousing moment, my crowd went nuts. The film is steeped in these characters’ culture, right down to the references to TV shows that gringos like me will probably be unfamiliar with, as well as knowing, funny nods to mores and attitudes that make the milieu feel lived-in. Soto and screenwriter Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer appear to have imagined this world with genuine detail; even some unexpected, late-breaking character flashbacks echo with historical resonance.

We don’t have to get all of it to enjoy it. The specificity makes the characters distinctive, which in turn lets us feel invested in their fate. Blue Beetle ’s action sequences are clean but largely unremarkable; they work, however, because we’re into the characters. This is not a novel notion, by the way. It’s what made the first Ant-Man so delightful — all that time spent getting to know Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang. And it’s what made Captain America: The First Avenger so compelling — the spectacle of ambitious, scrawny Brooklyn kid Steve Rogers attempting to join the military. Hell, it’s what made the first Shazam so enjoyable.

Which is another way of saying this: Savor it while it lasts. Warner and DC have been trying to engineer an interconnected, Marvel-style universe with cross-narratives and elaborate team-ups for a decade now, and while they haven’t had a ton of success with it, they’re determined to keep going. Oddly enough, the DC films that work the best tend to feel like their own things: Think Joker , or The Batman , or (yes) Shazam . For the moment, Blue Beetle feels like a fleet-footed, bighearted stand-alone. But the ominous franchise gears will surely continue to grind.

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Review: ‘Blue Beetle’ is a little more than a bug in the superhero system

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Xolo Maridueña in a scene from “Blue Beetle.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows, from left, Elipidia Carrillo, George Lopez, Xolo Maridueña, Belissa Escobedo and Damian Alcazar in a scene from “Blue Beetle.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows, from left, Belissa Escobedo, Adriana Barraza, Bruna Marquezine, Elipida Carrillo and George Lopez in a scene from “Blue Beetle.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Javier Guillen, left, and Susan Sarandon in a scene from “Blue Beetle.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows a scene from the film “Blue Beetle.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

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Franz Kafka never realized how close he came to kickstarting a superhero franchise.

Ever since Gregor Samsa awoke in his bed to find himself transformed into a monstrous dung beetle in “The Metamorphosis,” we’ve had spider-men, wasps, ant-men, crime-fighting ticks and mighty mantises — such a super swarm of insectoids that you might be tempted to reach for a fly swatter.

We’re now back to the beetle with the new DC Comics film “Blue Beetle,” which opens in theaters Thursday. But what distinguishes “Blue Beetle” isn’t its place in the bug brigade but the person doing the metamorphosizing.

Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) is the first Latino superhero in a leading role in a DC film. It’s not just token casting, either. “Blue Beetle,” directed by Ángel Manuel Soto and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, is firmly rooted in the experience of the Reyes clan, a close-knit Mexican-American family scraping by in the shadow of the gleaming Miami-like fictional metropolis of Palmera City.

Puerto Rican director Angel Manuel Soto explains why DC’s latest superhero movie - “Blue Beetle” - is a “love letter to his ancestors.” (Aug. 17)

Jaime is their first college graduate — “And last!” cheerfully chimes his sister, Milagro (the very funny, scene-stealing Belissa Escobedo). The parents, Alberto (Damián Alcázar) and Rocio (Elpidia Carrillo) are broke and on the cusp of losing their home to the encroaching, all-powerful Kord Industries. Also living with them are Jaime’s grandmother (Adriana Barraza) and his truck-driving uncle (George Lopez, having a ball).

“We used to have the other side of the tracks,” says Milagro. “Now they want that, too.”

Despite big post-college ambitions, Jaime is stuck cleaning hotel rooms with his sister. Given what his family has sacrificed for him, he’s saddled with guilt. So after a chance encounter with Jenny Kord (the Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine), niece of the company’s imperial chief executive Victoria (Susan Sarandon), Jaime jumps at the chance of a job opportunity.

He happens to turn up at Kord headquarters just as Jenny is fleeing with Victoria’s prized discovery: a blue metallic scarab from outer space called the Khaji da that she’s using to create an privatized robotic army. It’s admittedly quite a jump from the real estate business, but, well, interest rates are sky high.

Before you know it, Jaime, tasked with hiding the beetle by Jenny, is looking down at the thing when it sinks itself onto his face and quickly seeps into his body. Gregor’s initial response to changing into a beetle was simply to turn over (“How about if I sleep a little bit longer and forget all this nonsense”), but Jaime is afforded no such chance. He’s immediately rocketed through the roof and into space.

In the broadly sketched but spirited “Blue Beetle,” much of what follows is as you’d expect. There’s getting used to the new outfit (and the sentient being that communicates Venom-style within Jaime). A recent past to uncover. The inevitable climactic battle between two hunks of CGI.

But “Blue Beetle,” the final entry in a now defunct wave of DC films, distinguishes itself in other ways. Jaime’s family is continually along for the ride, making up his supporting cast when the big fight comes. (The grandmother’s younger days as a revolutionary emerge, comically.) Superheroes are ultimately empowerment fantasies, though they’ve often got away from that. “Blue Beetle” manages to come closer than most in evoking the thrill of the powerless suddenly handed cosmic strength.

Soto plays it fast and loose, mixing in a little lewdness (“Activate bug fart” is a new addition to the often solemn DC universe) and shades of neon blue and purple along the way. “Blue Beetle” doesn’t have much originality going for itself and Maridueña doesn’t make a significant impression. But the film crucially gets that superhero movies don’t need to be self-serious to make a serious point.

“Blue Beetle,” light, lively and sincere, is a tribute to the tenacity and indomitability of Mexican-American families that have clawed their way into an often inhospitable society. Family members, usually plot points of some animating trauma in superhero movies, are here a central part of the action. (Lopez gets countless cracks in, and most of them land.)

It’s a time of self-inquiry for the superhero movie after hints of a new downward trend (despite some notable exceptions like the blistering “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” with its Afro-Latino protagonist ). “Blue Beetle,” which had at one point been destined to go straight to streaming, falls in the middle of this new uncertain terrain. After a string of disappointments, future DC installments will take the comic book franchise in new directions. So it remains to be seen if “Blue Beetle” can be much more than a bug in the system amid larger industry shifts.

But I’d wager there will be plenty of moviegoers — especially young Hispanic ones not accustomed to seeing reflections of themselves in Hollywood comic book spectacles — who’ll grin all the way through the breezy “Blue Beetle.” If even a low-stakes, fairly derivative superhero movie like this can charm thanks to its warm Hispanic perspective and winning supporting cast, there’s plenty of hope yet for the genre — bugs and all.

“Blue Beetle,” a Warner Bros. release is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for sequences of action and violence, language, and some suggestive references. Running time: 127 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

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Along with a Latino superhero, 'Blue Beetle' brings levity to a typically dark DC Universe

Blue Beetle is not exactly a household name like Batman or Superman. But it might be soon with the launch of director Angel Manuel Soto’s DC movie of the same name.

Starring a predominantly Latino cast, “ Blue Beetle ” is about the DC Extended Universe’s first Hispanic superhero. And before you point to America Chavez in the second “Doctor Strange” movie, remember that she wasn’t the hero. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange was.

DC beat Marvel to the punch with this debut, but the question remains: is it any good?

Inevitably, every DC movie gets compared to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and for good reason. Historically, DC’s movies have been heavy, at times clunky, and just plain long in both runtime and feel. This is not to say that there isn’t room for darker superhero movies. The Christian Bale “Batman” movies and the "Joker" with Joaquin Phoenix prove that there's an appetite for gritty comic book movies. But sometimes the DC films just feel less tight (I'm looking at you "Justice League").

I'm happy to report that “Blue Beetle” doesn’t suffer from the ponderousness that weighs down so many other DC movies. It's lighter, more fun, and delivers the jokes, bright colors and nods to ridiculousness that you want from a superhero movie. And speaking of the superhero, the Blue Beetle emerges as relatable and easy to cheer for.

What is 'Blue Beetle' about?

Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña of “Cobra Kai”) is a new college graduate who returns home brimming with dreams and optimism. After all, he graduated pre-law. He grew up in the fictional and futuristic Palmera City, which appears to be an island off the coast of Florida.

This is a divergence from canon. In the comic, Jaime Reyes is from El Paso, Texas. This might ruffle some fan feathers, but Palmera City does a good job of showing the division between the haves and have-nots.

From the outside, the Reyes family appears to be on the have-nots side. But what they may lack in material goods is made up for by a life rich in family.

Jaime’s father is a mechanic, played by Damían Alcázar, who you may recognize from “Narcos.” His mother is played by Elpidia Carrillo, who is the very embodiment of a Latina mom. Her expressive love for her family and the way she rules the house will feel familiar to anyone with Latin roots. George Lopez stars as Jaime’s Uncle Rudy. He’s the kind of uncle who’s slightly weird, a MacGyver of all things electronic, and thinks the government is spying on them all the time. Lopez is a riot as Rudy and is really the secondary star of the movie. Also in the house is Jaime’s sister Milagro (Belissa Escobedo). Sharp, pragmatic, but down to earth, she’s the sort of sister he needs, even if he doesn't always welcome her feedback. And finally, there's Nana, played brilliantly by Adriana Barraza. Though her overall screen time is limited, it’s worth watching “Blue Beetle” just to see her in action. (No spoilers here. You just have to go see it.)

As Blue Beetle, Jaime is the third incarnation of the character. Comic book lore says the Scarab was discovered in Egypt by an archaeologist. And from there it got passed down through multiple hands. It’s alien tech that looks Egyptian on the outside. But on the inside is a sentient A.I. that seeks a host to bind to.

It comes to Jaime via Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), niece to the villain, Victoria Kord (Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon). As a global powerhouse in tech manufacturing, Kord lords over nearly every facet of life in Palmera City. From being its biggest employer to manipulating local authorities and police, Kord is the de facto government for all intents and purposes.

Victoria wants to use the Blue Beetle to create super soldiers. Jenny wants to take back her father’s company and use it for good.

During a one-woman heist of the Blue Beetle, Jenny passes it off to an unsuspecting Jaime to smuggle out of Kord HQ. With strict instructions to not open the box the scarab is hiding in, Jaime returns home where his family coerces him to peek inside. You can guess what happens next.

'Blue Beetle' is a step in the right direction for Hollywood representation

What makes any superhero movie work is grounding characters in reality. And on this front, "Blue Beetle" delivers. The attention to detail, from the plastic-covered sofas to the religious iconography on the wall to Ruddy’s Toyota Tacoma affectionately named “The Taco” make the world feel real.

Even more importantly, Jaime feels real. His family has a familiar migrant story. His parents worked hard so he and his sister could have a better life.

Jaime feels the weight of that sacrifice and is initially distressed to learn that his family was struggling while he was away at college in Gotham City. That weight is something anyone with migrant parents, or just parents who’ve sacrificed for their kids, can relate to.

The family dynamics also feel genuine. Jaime’s family is loud and boisterous, but it’s warm and loving. It doesn’t feel forced in any way. The Reyes family is fully realized. Each member gets their time to shine both as a normal person and as a hero.

Latino characters are cast in a fraction of the movie industry's speaking roles, USC's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and UCLA's latest Hollywood Diversity Report show that Latino actors were cast in just 7% of film leads.

“Blue Beetle” is a drop in the bucket, but hopefully a step in the right direction.

And, did I mention, it's a blast to watch?

'Blue Beetle' doesn't take itself too seriously

Maridueña expertly handles his character as he navigates the oddness of it all. And honestly, it is absurd to the max. Of the many superheroes we’ve seen on screen between Marvel and DC, Blue Beetle’s design is one of the strangest, right up there with Ant-Man.

There are gleeful callbacks to the 80s in some of the old technology and music, which is sure to tickle Gen-X and Millennials pink. The overall effect is dorky but in the best way.

Visually, “Blue Beetle” has tones of “Thor,” “Power Rangers” and “The Mummy.” You might even be reminded of a goofy French film from earlier this year “Smoking Causes Coughing.” There’s a scene with some bubblegum that feels like a kid wrote it. It’s hilarious and ridiculous, and it briefly saves a damsel in distress.

For as weird as "Blue Beetle" is, all the filmmakers clearly had fun making it and it shows. If you give in to it, you'll have fun watching it too.

'Blue Beetle' 3 stars

Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★

Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★

Director: Angel Manuel Soto

Cast: Xolo Maridueña , Bruna Marquezine , Susan Sarandon , George Lopez , Damián Alcázar

Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action, language, some suggestive references, violence

How to watch: In theaters Aug. 18

Contact Kaely Monahan at k [email protected] . Follow her on our podcasts Valley 101 and The Gaggle , and on Twitter @ KaelyMonahan .

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Blue beetle.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 22 Reviews
Kids Say 19 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Loving family, intense scenes in DC's Latino superhero tale.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 12+?

No blood or gore, but visuals can be intense and scary. When the ancient alien b

Frequent language, including "s--t," "ass," "a--hole," "brat," "bulls--t," "d--k

Long kiss. Erection joke. When Jaime returns to his "human" state, he's nude; no

Uncle Rudy drinks beer and makes a joke about weed.

Part of the DCEU franchise, which has a lot of tie-in merchandise available.

Any Positive Content?

Blue Beetle (played by actor Xolo Maridueña, who's of Mexican and Cuban descent)

Your family is your superpower; find your strength in them. Everyone has a purpo

Jaime Reyes is humble and dedicated to his family, doing his part to support the

Violence & Scariness

No blood or gore, but visuals can be intense and scary. When the ancient alien biotechnology connects to a host, it's somewhat terrifying, looking sort of like a demon possession, with eyes turning red, bulges visibly moving around inside the host's body, the body writhing, and the host screaming in agony. Deaths of parents and sympathetic characters. Harmless characters are targeted by a SWAT team that violently invades their home and shoots at them. Sci-fi fantasy action fights (mostly in mech suits), with bodies thrown around and hitting big objects, punches, and kicks. Use of fantasy weapons that look electrified, like a giant hatchet, sword, and fist. Hail of bullets from assault weapons. Explosions. Constant peril. Brief images of war from the point of view of a child forced into serving, including shooting a gun.

Frequent language, including "s--t," "ass," "a--hole," "brat," "bulls--t," "d--k," "goddammit," "hell," "piss," "stupid," and "what the fuuuuhhhh..." A woman is called "cupcake." White boss continually calls a Latino employee the same wrong last name in a way that's condescending and racist.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Long kiss. Erection joke. When Jaime returns to his "human" state, he's nude; no sensitive body parts shown.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Products & purchases, diverse representations.

Blue Beetle (played by actor Xolo Maridueña, who's of Mexican and Cuban descent) is the first Latino superhero in Warner Bros.' DC Extended Cinematic Universe. Director, writer, producers, and majority of main cast are Latino. Set in a fictional city (kind of a Miami-El Paso hybrid) where many of the residents are Latino. Main characters are Mexican American, and Mexican culture is prominently featured. Characters frequently speak in Spanish. Difficulties of the Mexican/Central American immigrant experience are woven into the story, including someone not reporting being the victim of a crime for fear of deportation, and a late-night raid that includes use of phrase "round them up." Female lead character is Brazilian (played by Brazilian actor). While this is Jaime's story, female characters are fully realized and are depicted as intelligent, brave, independently capable. Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) is a White woman over 70 who has impressive business acumen; her accomplishments and efforts over decades to build her empire have been continually thwarted by sexism. White boss continually calls a Latino employee the same wrong last name in a way that's condescending and racist.

Positive Messages

Your family is your superpower; find your strength in them. Everyone has a purpose, and if you don't find your purpose, your purpose may find you.

Positive Role Models

Jaime Reyes is humble and dedicated to his family, doing his part to support them now, as they've supported him in the past. Jenny Kord is on the board of her family's corporation, taking action when necessary to prioritize ethical business practices, putting people over profits. Nana shows that grandmas can be both sweet, loving cooks and caretakers and a force to be reckoned with. Central family is aspirational, showing the value of a strong, supportive family.

Parents need to know that Blue Beetle centers on the first Latino superhero in the DC Extended Universe: recent college graduate Jaime Reyes ( Xolo Maridueña ), who unwittingly finds himself infused with superpowers when he comes into contact with an ancient alien relic. Expect lots of fantasy action violence, including fighting (pushing, shoving, kicking) in mech suits and/or with helmeted (thus, faceless) minions. While there are plenty of laughs, there are also several moments that may scare younger or more sensitive viewers. When the relic pairs with its host, it looks like what you might expect from a cinematic demon possession: screams of agony, red eyes, and something large zipping around under the host's skin. Also potentially upsetting is a scene of a late-night invasion that's akin to an ICE raid, with a team of armored agents with assault weapons "rounding up" a family of immigrants and opening fire. There are images of war from the point of view of a child, and sympathetic characters die. Strong language is frequent ("d--k," "goddammit," "s--t") but doesn't stray into full F-bomb territory (just "what the f--"). Characters kiss, and one drinks beer and makes a reference to weed. Themes include compassion, courage, and the importance of family, and the fact that the filmmakers and main actors are largely Latino helps ensure authentic representation. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (22)
Kids say (19)

Based on 22 parent reviews

Good character and visual style but not suitable for children.

What's the story.

When Kord Industries board member Jenny Kord ( Bruna Marquezine ) gives recent college graduate Jaime Reyes ( Xolo Maridueña ) the responsibility of protecting a mysterious package, he thinks he's on his way to getting a job where he can use his degree and help his family during a financially uncertain time. But the package turns out to contains the Scarab, a symbiotic alien biotechnology that transfers its powers to Jaime, transforming him into BLUE BEETLE -- whether he wants it or not.

Is It Any Good?

A Latino superhero is long overdue in the DCEU, and this warm, funny adventure makes it worth the wait. Blue Beetle 's plot points are pretty familiar -- Jaime Reyes' ( Maridueña ) origin story has a lot in common with that of Marvel's insect-powered character, Spider-Man. But there's a distinct difference for Reyes: He's not a lone wolf. While Peter Parker keeps his alter ego a secret, Reyes' family is 100% with him from the get-go. Jaime may be the Blue Beetle, but the Reyes family members are the legs that hold him up and allow him to run.

Other elements also help make Blue Beetle's story feel like a breath of fresh air in a packed superhero market. For starters, the location: Palmera City is to Miami as Gotham City is to New York, and, true to Miami, most of its residents are Latino. Soto uses the Reyes' story to illustrate the challenges of being a Mexican or Central American immigrant in the United States, from the fears that come with having undocumented family members, to the perseverance and bravery of those who risk it all to try to give their family a better life, to the love of a supportive extended family. Jaime's family is simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary: Sister Milagro ( Belissa Escobedo ) goads him relentlessly but is his ride-or-die, Uncle Rudy ( George Lopez , like you've never seen him before) is off-color and wacky but always comes through in a pinch, and Nana ( Adriana Barraza ) has a certain set of skills beyond cooking. Bottom line? Reyes isn't just the first DC film superhero who's Latino -- he's also the first movie superhero to show that while his physical power comes from his super-enhancements, his fortitude comes from a loving family.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Blue Beetle's significance as a Latino superhero. Why is representation important?

Director Angel Manuel Soto describes the movie's setting, Palmera City, as "a mixed salad of Latino cultures around the world." What elements of Latino culture or experiences are brought to light?

Compare Blue Beetle's origin story to that of other superheroes. What's similar? What's different?

How are humility , integrity , compassion , and courage demonstrated? Why are these important character strengths?

How are women depicted in Blue Beetle ? How does this compare to their depiction in other movies in which the hero is male?

Movie Details

In theaters : August 18, 2023
On DVD or streaming : September 26, 2023
Cast : Xolo Maridueña , Bruna Marquezine , Susan Sarandon , Harvey Guillén
Director : Angel Manuel Soto
Inclusion Information : Latino directors, Latino actors, Female actors, Bisexual actors, Queer actors, Latino writers
Studio : Warner Bros.
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : Superheroes
Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Humility , Integrity
Run time : 127 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : sequences of action and violence, language, and some suggestive references
Award : Common Sense Selection
Last updated : August 21, 2024

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Blue beetle : release date, trailer, cast & more, we break down the classic superhero's comic book origins, as well as new details about cast, location, story, and where it fits in the dc universe..

TAGGED AS: DC Universe , movies , Superheroes

Blue Beetle always manages to survive. That fact is a curious part of the character’s longevity. Created in 1939 by Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski for Fox Comics, the character was a Mystery Man in a simple costume. His powers — initially derived by a special pill like Hourman — came to him via a sacred scarab. The mixture of mysticism and derring-do made him popular enough to star in his own radio serial.

With the arrival of the 1950s and a sharp decline in audience for superheroes who were not the DC Trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, Fox sold Blue Beetle and all their characters to Charlton Comics, who would eventually reboot him as Ted Kord, a man who used his prowess for invention instead of a power-yielding scarab to give bad guys what for. Ted’s initial spotlight lasted only a year before Charlton put its heroes on ice, eventually selling them to DC Comics. Like many of the other Charlton heroes, he served as the basis for a Watchmen character (Nite Owl II, to be exact), but also became a popular DC hero in his own right when the Charlton character integrated into the DC Universe and he became a supporting character in the more humor-focused Justice League International .

(Photo by DC Comics)

But like his predecessor, Ted’s time was deemed to be over. He suffered an ignominious death at the hands of an old ally and, after another DC Crisis, a scarab like the original Blue Beetle’s appeared to bequeath powers to a new character – a teenager by the name of Jaime Reyes who proved to find his own popularity in the pages of a new Blue Beetle comic book and as a key supporting cast member in the animated Batman: The Brave and the Bold series. He also became one of the heroes various DC regimes have tried to get to the big screen for almost 20 years.

And now, his time is coming with August’s Blue Beetle – a film that not only survived the tumult of the last few years, but ascended from a planned launch on HBO Max. How could the character pull this off, and will his adventures matter in the ever evolving DC Cinematic Universe? Let’s take a look at everything we know about Blue Beetle to see if the film is the beginning of a bold, new DC hero film star.

La Historia

Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes in Blue Beetle (2023)

Based on the trailer, it appears the film will age up Jaime ever so slightly – leaving the high school trappings for a different set of heroes – and relocate him and his family from El Paso, Texas to the fictional Palmera City, which was first introduced in the comic miniseries Blue Beetle: Graduation Day (although portions of the film were shot in El Paso). Beyond that, though, many of the details remain the same. Jaime comes into possession of a mysterious alien scarab. It bonds with him — as seen in the trailer’s body horror moment — and provides him with the ability to produce a super-strong exoskeleton around his form. Beyond protecting him from exterior threats, it also allows him to produce various tools and weapons based on whatever he can imagine.

Presumably, he will follow a familiar superhero journey’s arc to learn his powers, come to an accord with the artificial intelligence embedded in the scarab, and discover the true meaning of heroism. Beyond that, though, there will be a fight with Kord Industries, who seeks the scarab for their own purposes, and maybe even a little bit of legacy as the company’s antagonistic ways may be hiding a founder — Ted Kord — who would have been more sympathetic to Jaime.

At least we assume he would be sympathetic. A villainous turn for Ted is one path he rarely walks, if ever.

La Locación

Whether or not the film largely takes place in El Paso or Palmera City (or both), there’s a larger setting to consider: the DC Multiverse. When the film was put into production, it was meant to be part of former DC Films president Walter Hamada’s plan to produce two mid-budget films per year for HBO Max. These pictures would take place elsewhere in the Multiverse, far from the prime reality of the feature films. The two films he set into motion were Blue Beetle and Batgirl . In December of 2021, the former was promoted to a full theatrical release. Batgirl , meanwhile, proved to be the nadir of Hamada’s Multiverse concept as his bosses at Warner Bros. Discovery shelved the nearly-completed film entirely and hired new DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran to build a consistent film universe while downplaying the Multiverse.

For Blue Beetle , that means viewers will watch a film largely unmoored from both the so-called DC Extended Universe and the DCU Gunn is building for 2025 and beyond. According to Gunn and Safran, that in-between status means little; Jaime could continue his hero’s tale in the DCU. Of course, the swiftness of that return appearance will largely depend on box office grosses and other measures of success.

All that said, the film still takes place in a DC Comics world complete with Big Belly Burger (an in-universe burger chain that debuted in a 1988 issue of Adventures of Superman and has appeared in the Arrowverse , various animated projects, and the short-lived DC sitcom Powerless ), Kord Industries itself (a company that is usually getting robbed in its other screen stories), and the notion of superheroes. While we doubt any surprise cameos will occur in the movie, expect things like the trailer’s shout-out to Batman.

Los Personajes

Starring as Jaime Reyes is Cobra Kai ‘s Xolo Maridueña , an inspired choice as he has both the physicality of the character and the overall vibe of a Mexican American kid in his late teens. But Jaime is just one part of the equation, as his family has always been an important fixture of his Blue Beetle tenure. Filling out La Familia Reyes are Belissa Escobedo as Jaime’s sister Milagros, George Lopez as Tio Rudy, Adriana Barraza as Jaime’s nana (grandmother), Elpidia Carrillo as mother Rocio, and Damián Alcázar as father Alberto. To director Angel Manuel Soto , building an authentic Mexican American family with a variety of accents and experiences – a notion backed up by the original comics – was an important part of bringing Jaime to the screen, and judging from the trailer, it appears they will get plenty of time to shine.

Bruna Marquezine plays Jenny (or Penny) Kord, a character described as Jaime’s love interest, while Harvey Guillén will appear in an undisclosed role.

Meanwhile, the bad guys are represented by Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord – a name that immediately makes us wonder if Ted isn’t somewhere out there waiting for his chance to shine alongside Jaime. At the very least, the trailer confirms Ted’s superhero aircraft, the Bug, will be represented. Meanwhile. Victoria’s forces are backed up by Raoul Trujillo as Carapax the Indestructible Man. The character, although introduced in 1986, was meant to be an adversary of the Golden Age Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett, before becoming a robot (long story), but it unclear if the film will acknowledge all of Blue Beetle’s history. That said, legacy is an important part of many DC heroes and it would be nice for a film to include that sense of history.

Los Cineastas

Blue Beetle (2023) director Angel Manuel Soto

(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Charm City Kings ‘ Angel Manuel Soto serves as director. Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer provided the script while DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran and John Rickard produced the film. Executive producers include Zev Foreman, Garrett Grant and David Siegel. Pawel Pogorzelski serves as director of photography with Jon Billington as production designer, Mayes C. Rubeo as costume designer, and Craig Alpert as editor.

Proving once again just how well Blue Beetle perseveres, the film is scheduled for release on August 18, 2023 – the same date it has held from the moment it was elevated to a theatrical film. It’s a true rarity when the DC film calendar shifts as often as it does and, hopefully, suggests a future for Jaime, his family, and maybe even Ted Kord.

Blue Beetle opens in theaters on August 18, 2023.

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Blue Beetle Review: A Latino Infusion to the DC Universe

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The DC Universe gets a much-needed Latino infusion with a superhero origin story based on the importance of family. Blue Beetle breaks the comic book adaptation mold by giving a young Mexican protagonist the blockbuster popcorn cinema treatment. Xolo Maridueña lights up the screen with an endearing and awkward personality. He gets narrative help from a slew of busybody relatives who have his back when the going gets tough. This also works against the film, as one character in particular strays too goofy and annoying for my taste. That said, a winning combo of an encouraging lead, solid action scenes, and sharp visual effects deliver a fun summer ride.

Jaime Reyes (Maridueña) arrives at the Palmera City airport eager to see his beloved family. The recent college graduate is smothered with hugs, kisses, and unfortunate news. His sarcastic sister, Milagro (Belissa Escobedo), informs him that they're losing the house, and his father, Alberto (Damián Alcázar), recovered from a heart attack.

A stunned Jaime promises to do anything to help his dad and keep their home. Rudy (George Lopez), Jaime's ponytail-wearing, conspiracy theorist uncle, loads everyone into Taco, his tricked out Toyota Tacoma. He curses mega corporation Kord Industries for forcing the poor out of their homes.

Meanwhile, on Pago Island, there's another complicated family plot. Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) lands at a secret base with gleeful nefarious intentions. Her cyborg henchman, Conrad Carapax (Raoul Max Trujillo), has finally located the Scarab, an alien device with extraordinary powers.

Ted Kord, Victoria's brother and the company's missing former CEO, went to great lengths to hide it from her. The discovery will revolutionize military defense systems and make Kord Industries the world's biggest arms manufacturer. Victoria's biggest obstacle is Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine) — Ted's daughter and Victoria's pacifist niece — who vehemently opposes the company's transition to weaponry.

A Family Affair

In Palmera City, Jaime cannot find a job despite having a degree. He's forced to work with Milagro as an attendant at Victoria's palatial waterfront mansion. Jaime spots a tense argument between her and the beautiful Jenny. He interrupts their showdown when Carapax lurches threateningly towards Jenny. Chivalry gets Jaime and Milagro fired on the spot by Victoria. But he gets a surprising reprieve before being forced to leave. Jenny promises to get him a new position at the company's headquarters.

Related: 9 DC Movies That Are Better than Most of the MCU

Blue Beetle incorporates the classic comic's lore into a modern storyline. Screenwriter Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer ( Miss Bala ) keeps the focus on Jaime's incredible transformation but pays homage to the previous costumed heroes. Die-hard fans, if they exist for this character, will be tickled by nods to Dan Garrett, the first Blue Beetle , and Ted Kord, his student, who replaced Dan but wasn't able to use the Scarab.

Ted's influence is particularly important as Jaime and Jenny try to understand the scope of the Scarab's abilities. Pop star and actress Becky G voices Khaji-Da, the artificial intelligence that controls the Scarab and chooses its human host. Her role is purposely limited to keep some alien aspects mysterious for future installments.

Blue Beetle has a similar look to Marvel's Iron Man and the Iron Spider nanotech armor that Tony Stark developed for Spider-Man . The Scarab implants itself like a symbiote into Jaime's spine and grows a metallic exoskeleton under duress. The suit materializes over his skin with a digital interface in the helmet. He struggles to control Khaji-Da and stop the Scarab from lethal impulses.

These scenes are reminiscent of Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War, where Peter Parker fumbles with gadgets. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and works well here. It's a steep learning curve as Jaime takes more than a few lumps learning to use the Scarab.

Related: Blue Beetle's History, Powers, and Road to the Big Screen

George Lopez as Uncle Rudy

The film has an underlying theme of fighting imperialism and unbridled capitalism . Victoria, an unholy mix of Lex Luthor and Elon Musk, holds profit and power above humanistic values. She'll kill anyone standing in her way without batting an eye. Jenny's life means nothing as her only relative. Dunnet-Alcocer also brings up the US military's infamous School of the Americas (SOA) that trained Latin American guerrillas in brutal warfare tactics. The humor ceases when the film takes an unexpected turn to explore the horrific aftermath of the SOA's influence.

Blue Beetle keeps the Reyes family front and center throughout. You'll get a kick out of Jaime's badass grandmother, Nana (Adriana Barraza), but tire quickly of Uncle Rudy's antics. George Lopez has had tremendous success as a comedian and actor. He brings his shtick to Blue Beetle with mixed results. Rudy goes from silly funny to downright irritating as the plot progresses. The character detracts from Jaime's journey in pivotal moments. There's a lot to like about the film, but Rudy's buffoonery should have been truncated. Stick around during and after the credits, though.

Blue Beetle is a production of DC Studios and The Safran Company. It will be released theatrically on August 18th from Warner Bros . You can watch the trailer below.

Blue Beetle

Blue Beetle is a superhero-action film that follows college graduate Jaime Reyes as he inherits the powers of a mysterious alien relic known as the Scarab, bestowing him with a powerful exosuit that gives him unearthly capabilities. Now an inheritor of a power he isn't sure he deserves, Jaime will become a hero to protect the ones he loves.

Movie and TV Reviews

Blue Beetle Movie Reviews: Critics Share First Reactions

Critics are sharing their initial spoiler-free reactions to the latest dcu movie, blue beetle..

The first reactions from critics on the latest DCU movie, Blue Beetle , are officially going public.

After a rough couple of rounds in theaters for DC Studios with Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash , the studio looks to get back on track with a fresh new origin story in Blue Beetle .

Featuring an A-list cast of actors, including both newcomers and industry veterans , this solo outing will add a brand-new character to the DC legacy as he takes his place on the big screen before the new DC Universe comes to fruition .

Critics Share First Reviews of DC's Blue Beetle

Critics shared their first reactions to DC Studios' Blue Beetle on X (formerly known as Twitter) after the social media embargo was officially lifted.

ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis described the new film as "mostly a blast," highlighting the practical super suit and George Lopez's performance while admitting that some of it is "too silly or childish" for him:

"The 'Blue Beetle' movie is mostly a blast. Some is too silly or childish for me, a lot had me laughing loud (George Lopez!). Practical suit rocks. The Latino representation is awesome. Enjoyed the family-centric stakes, solid action beats. Overall, it’s fun."

Collider's Steven Weintraub was pleasantly surprised with what he saw, praising director Angel Manuel Soto for adding "his own flavor to the superhero genre" and for highlighting the Latino culture and family values:

"Happy to report Angel Manuel Soto's 'Blue Beetle' was so much better than I expected. He's added his own flavor to the superhero genre by having the film focus on a tight-knit family and Latino culture. It’s fun, extremely funny, and he got away with a few jokes that floored me."

Film Speak host Griffin Schiller put the film on a pedestal as "a MASSIVE win for DC" and praised star Xolo Maridueña's performance as the lynchpin of the story:

"'Blue Beetle' is a MASSIVE win for DC & an electric introduction to the first hero of the DCU. Xolo Maridueña's charismatic star making performance confidently anchors this intimate synthwave journey of family, heritage, & purpose. A fresh and endearing spin on the origin story!"

The Wrap's Umberto Gonzalez celebrated Blue Beetle for being "so incredibly good (and) so unique," specifically pointing out the film's score and highlighting the diversity included for the Latino community:

"'Blue Beetle' is here & Latinos FINALLY have a superhero of their own reflected on the big screen. The film is so incredibly good, so unique & delivers on all fronts giving the superhero genre much needed sazón! The film 's Tangerine Dream inspired synthwave score also rocks!

CineXpressPR's Fico Cangiano called Blue Beetle "a great time at the movies," praising the Latino culture brought to life while also describing it as "a fantastic introduction to Jaime Reyes:"

"Happy to report that Angel Manuel Soto's 'Blue Beetle' is definitely a great time at the movies! Not only is it a fantastic introduction to Jaime Reyes as a character/hero, but also a love letter to the Latino culture, that focuses on family as its foundation.

Cangiano celebrated the movie's "great visual effects" and highlighted the performances from Maridueña and Lopez along with other members of the cast:

"Funny, full of nitfy action, with great visual effects (suit looks/feels amazing), and plenty of heart, 'Blue Beetle’s' first live-action film is a win for longtime fans, and for the future of the DCU. Xolo Mariedueña kills it as the lead, while Belissa Escobedo and George Lopez shine as part of Jaime’s familia. Loved Bobby Krlic’s electronic/synthy 80’s-vibed score. It’s a blast. Def want to see what Soto does next with Blue Beetle. Go see it in the big screen!

POC Culture took the praise even a step further, calling it their "favorite post-(Christopher) Nolan DC film" as they enjoyed the unique feel that the Mexican culture in the story delivered:

"'Blue Beetle' is my favorite post-Nolan DC film. It’s an action packed, highly entertaining superhero story about family…& there’s nothing more important than family. The film is unique in that it lovingly & unabashedly shares the Reyes family’s Mexican culture.

Film critic Carlos Aguilar was "Impressed by the pop culture details & historical references" in the newest DC movie, continuing with the trend of pointing out the nods to Latin America that the filmmakers included:

"Impressed by the pop culture details & historical references in 'BLUE BEETLE.' From MACARIO, to CRONOS, and El CHAPULÍN COLORADO. But even more so that the infamous School of the Americas is integral to the story. This is the work of filmmakers who know & care about Latin America."

Discussing Film's Ben Rolph heaped even more praise on Maridueña while describing Blue Beetle as "a spellbinding origin story" that also hints at where the DCU will go in the future:

"'Blue Beetle' is an electric and thrilling ride, Xolo Maridueña was born to play Jaime Reyes! It's a spellbinding origin story, made and steered by the excellent Angel Manuel Soto. Loved the film and what it teases about the future of DC."

CineMovieTV bluntly noted that the start of the film was a little shaky, but that it ended up being "full of laughter, action & lots of heart" thanks to fantastic showings from the cast:

"'Blue Beetle' was a huge surprise. After a shaky start, the superhero movie is full of laughter, action & lots of heart. Xolo Maridueña kills it, So does Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez is hilarious & Adriana Barraza is a hoot as “Nana”. Take the whole familia & bring tissues."

Will Blue Beetle Succeed in Theaters?

Looking at how many flops DC Studios has had to endure over the last couple of years, fans are hoping that Blue Beetle will be something closer to a winner before the franchise is completely rebooted.

This also echoes feelings that early viewers had during test screenings for the latest DCU adventure, begging the question of whether fans will show up to the theater when it makes its debut.

Unfortunately, early projections don't have the new outing performing well for the time being, with high-end predictions looking at the movie earning only about $55 million globally at the box office .

But with plenty of support coming from important names in the DC landscape like Zack Snyder , the hope is that those odds will be more favorable in the near future.

Blue Beetle will arrive in theaters on Friday, August 18.

DC Studios' Blue Beetle Movie Gets Exciting News From Test Screening

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Blue Beetle (Mexico/United States, 2023)

Blue Beetle is emblematic of what the superhero movie has become in 2023: an overlong slog through well-worn tropes. Gone are the zest and liveliness that characterized earlier films or the experimental genre-bending of the MCU’s salad days. Putting aside the movie’s most notable quality (an almost entirely Latinx cast), there’s nothing in these left-overs to excite or energize. The primary sin isn’t that Blue Beetle stinks the way really bad movies do but that it is so deeply mired in mediocrity that it’s tough to find a reason to care about its existence.

Technically speaking, this is a DC movie, although whether it should be classified as a late-innings entry into the soon-to-be-defunct DCEU (DC Extended Universe) or some kind of stand-alone is beyond my paygrade to determine. It features one of the lesser-known DC characters that only die-hards will recognize from the comic books and is light on references to the DC pantheon – Superman, Batman, and Flash get name checks and I think I saw a “Lexcorp” sign on a skyscraper, although it passed by so quickly I can’t be sure. Barring an unexpected box office windfall, this will be a one-and-done, although the movie is optimistic enough to hint at a potential sequel during an obligatory post-credits scene. Don’t bet the mortgage on that happening.

During the first half of Blue Beetle , there seems to be a concerted effort to keep the tone light, in line with a Deadpool -lite approach. Much of the humor is unfunny (and therefore awkward) and, considering the PG-13 rating, nothing comes close to the edginess that infused the Ryan Reynolds project. The movie’s second half is generic Superhero 101, with every beat stolen/borrowed from other comic book-inspired projects. The hero’s origin story and powers are a combination of Spider-Man and Iron-Man with a little Batman thrown in for good measure.

With a modest budget of $120M, Blue Beetle makes the argument that it’s possible to produce a superhero movie that doesn’t demand a record-setting box office performance to break even. (This was originally planned as a direct-to-MAX exclusive before the decision was made to give it a theatrical release.) The lack of star power is in some ways an asset because it takes away the recognition factor. The camerawork is solid with the action sequence choreography being mostly coherent. And the special effects are limited but effective. Given a (much) better script, the film might have worked. However, although Blue Beetle may break barriers when it comes to cast diversity, it fails to accomplish the same when it comes to story and character, two things that should mean at least as much.

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Blue Beetle movie review & film summary (2023)
The villain, Victoria (Susan Sarandon), is hardly configured; it doesn't take much guessing to know they're a metaphor for the past and present ills of white-American imperialism. Love will prevail. Self-discovery will happen. And yet, "Blue Beetle" is surprisingly politically spry; the family-bound narrative is shockingly pure; its ...
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While it seems like just another DC superhero movie, Blue Beetle stands alone and marks a potentially new offshoot from the usual extended-universe comic book fare. The movie stars Cobra Kai's Xolo Maridueña as the titular Mexican-American superhero with Susan Sarandon hamming it up as the villain. According to the first reviews of Blue Beetle, it's got a lot of heart, great Latino ...
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Review scoring. good. Under Ángel Manuel Soto's direction, Blue Beetle is a superhero movie that sets itself apart within the bloated genre through the deeply connected bonds of Jaime and the ...
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Full Review | Sep 27, 2023. Blue Beetle is an amiable, sincere, and fitfully enjoyable piece in the superhero genre that entertains and engages in both thrills and poignancy thanks to its grounded ...
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Blue Beetle: Directed by Angel Manuel Soto. With Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Becky G, Damián Alcázar. An alien scarab chooses Jaime Reyes to be its symbiotic host, bestowing the recent college graduate with a suit of armor that's capable of extraordinary powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero known as Blue Beetle.
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Blue Beetle has a cheap kid's TV-movie look and feel most of the time. I enjoy the social commentary, some of the horror leanings, the film's anime action and some dialogue and character moments stand out. ... Read More Report. 6. Ralfbergs Jan 28, 2024 This really had mixed reviews from my friends in general, but I thought it was quite ok, but ...
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Our review: Parents say (22 ): Kids say (19 ): A Latino superhero is long overdue in the DCEU, and this warm, funny adventure makes it worth the wait. Blue Beetle 's plot points are pretty familiar -- Jaime Reyes' (Maridueña) origin story has a lot in common with that of Marvel's insect-powered character, Spider-Man.
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El Estreno (Photo by ©Warner Bros. Pictures) Proving once again just how well Blue Beetle perseveres, the film is scheduled for release on August 18, 2023 - the same date it has held from the moment it was elevated to a theatrical film.It's a true rarity when the DC film calendar shifts as often as it does and, hopefully, suggests a future for Jaime, his family, and maybe even Ted Kord.
Blue Beetle Review: A Latino Infusion to the DC Universe
Warner Bros. Pictures. The DC Universe gets a much-needed Latino infusion with a superhero origin story based on the importance of family. Blue Beetle breaks the comic book adaptation mold by ...
Blue Beetle (film)
Blue Beetle is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle.Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, it is the 14th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Xolo Maridueña stars as Reyes, a recent college graduate who is bestowed with an armor that grants him superpowers after being accidentally chosen by an ancient ...
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Review. Blue Beetle. Rotten Tomatoes 77% (216 Reviews) Led by Xolo Maridueña's magnetic performance in the title role, Blue Beetle is a refreshingly family-focused superhero movie with plenty of humor and heart. Metacritic: 61 (50 Reviews. Reviews. The Hollywood Reporter : A bug worth catching. Variety :
Official Discussion
An alien scarab chooses college graduate Jaime Reyes to be its symbiotic host, bestowing the teenager with a suit of armor that's capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero known as Blue Beetle. Director: Angel Manual Soto. Writers:
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle (Mexico/United States, 2023) August 18, 2023. A movie review by James Berardinelli. Blue Beetle is emblematic of what the superhero movie has become in 2023: an overlong slog through well-worn tropes. Gone are the zest and liveliness that characterized earlier films or the experimental genre-bending of the MCU's salad days ...

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Blue Beetle Reviews

Blue Beetle review: An authentic, funny, sometimes formulaic origin story of resilience

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‘Blue Beetle’ Review: A Hero Story That’s All in the Family

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Review: ‘Blue Beetle’ is a little more than a bug in the superhero system

Along with a Latino superhero, 'Blue Beetle' brings levity to a typically dark DC Universe

What is 'Blue Beetle' about?

'Blue Beetle' is a step in the right direction for Hollywood representation

'Blue Beetle' doesn't take itself too seriously

'Blue Beetle' 3 stars

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