Blue Beetle is currently the only new origin movie on the DCEU release slate and is scheduled to release in 2023.

DC Comics

Blue Beetle survived the recent cancelation streak of DC Films and DC TV projects at Warner Bros. Discovery; however, it did send director Angel Manuel Soto under stress at the time. After the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery, David Zaslav canceled Batgirl and Wonder Twins, leaving the status of Blue Beetle hanging. However, it was revealed shortly after that the film was still in the works, but, it turns out, the whole process did get everyone worried.

Recently, Angel Manuel Soto and lead actor Xolo Maridueña gave an interview to NPR, discussing Blue Beetle. Soto admitted that he felt concerned for his film after Batgirl was canceled. The director also said there was fear at first, but the studio assured him that Blue Beetle had full support and executives were still keeping the film greenlit.
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I’m not going to lie. There was concern, anger, fear at first. They told me not to worry; the film has their full support.

Blue Beetle was initially announced as an HBO Max special but was later considered and confirmed for a theatrical release. Xolo Maridueña stars as Jamie Reyes, who is grafted to the alien Blue Beetle scarab, giving him a superpowered exosuit. The film marks the character’s first live-action appearance, and the film’s story will find roots in the character’s Mexican-American heritage.

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Xolo Maridueña Answers the Character’s Comparisons to Iron Man

The duo also answered comparisons of Blue Beetle and the character’s powers to Iron Man and fellow DC character Green Lantern. Actor Xolo Maridueña described Jamie Reyes’ newfound powers as a fusion of these two characters, given that he has an exoskeleton suit while getting his powers from an ancient relic.

He’s a first-generation Mexican-American kid from El Paso, Texas. He’s kind of like a fusion of Green Lantern and Iron Man. He has a scarab from outer space that is attached to his body called Khaji da.

In the same interview, Blue Beetle writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer further described that Blue Beetle would be somewhat of a family affair as Reyes’ new powers will bring unprecedented changes into his family members’ lives.

What would my mom do if an alien technology burrowed into my spine? She would not think it’s cool. And for the Reyes family, this is terrible. ‘We’re going to get attention from American institutions, from the government, from military, from the police.

It looks like Blue Beetle will draw similar attention from the American authorities as Superman did during the Man of Steel. If the military gets involved, it would be lovely to see familiar faces from Zack Snyder’s early DCEU movies in the movie, such as Christina Wren’s Major Farris and Harry Lennix’s Clavin Swanwick – who later was revealed to be J’onn J’onzz aka Martian Manhunter.

Blue Beetle is slated to release on August 18, 2023. The film will supposedly be added to the newly announced ten-year plan for the franchise, ushering in a new era of superheroes in DC’s live-action cinematic continuity. The film was the last in DCEU’s release slate but will now be preceded by Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom.