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‘Blue Beetle’ First Reactions Praise Latinx Representation & A “Funny” & “Emotional” Film

Rodrigo Perez
By Rodrigo Perez
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The oft-repeated phrase: DC Studios, Warner Bros, and the DC brand have taken a beating within the last 12 months and arguably longer. The company hasn’t had a real hit since “Aquaman” (2018) and basically faced seven bombs or underwhelming showings in a row outside of “Joker” (2019) and “The Batman” (2022), which are arguably Elseworlds pictures outside the scope of the main DCEU. Since October of 2022, “Black Adam” underperformed, 2023’s March release “Shazam! Fury Of the Gods” flopped, and so did “The Flash,” which was supposed to be their big hit. And then there’s “Blue Beetle,” which is 2023’s second-last hope of 2023 (or last if “Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom” gets pushed to 2024, currently a possibility given all the rumors of numerous reshoots to fix the ailing movie).

READ MORE: ‘Wonder Woman 3’: Plans for A James Gunn-Sanctioned Movie With Gal Gadot Are Apparently Premature

Starring Xolo Maridueña (“Cobra Kai”) and directed by “Charm City Kings” director Angel Manuel Soto, “Blue Beetle” comes out August 18 and comes from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer and the first reactions are in. The verdict is: it’s good, funny, and emotional, but will that save the movie at the box office? After all, we were repeatedly told by Warner Bros. David Zazlav and DC Studios co-chief, and Tom Cruise that “The Flash” was one of the best films of the year and, in the case of the former two, one of the best superhero films ever made. None of those things turned out to be true in the estimation of both critics and audiences.

What is “Blue Beetle” about? It’s essentially a coming-of-age superhero film (not unlike “Spider-Man”) where an alien relic chooses Jaime Reyes (Maridueña) 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. Here are some critical reactions, including from some Playlist writers and contributors like Carlos Aguilar and Griffin Schiller, among many others.

“Blue Beetle” was initially tracking to a meager figure (less than $15 million opening domestically), but now seems to have popped up a little bit higher ($30 million, which is better, but not great for a superhero movie).

Pitched somewhere between “Spider-Man,” “Ant-Man” and “Iron Man,” “Blue Beetle” also stars Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Raoul Trujillo, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, and Belissa Escobedo, along with Susan Sarandon.

Can “Blue Beetle” salvage DC’s year? Again, it seems doubtful. “The Flash” was touted as DC’s big tentpole that was supposed to salvage the summer and the overall cinematic box office. Instead, the expensive film flopped and couldn’t even gross $270 million worldwide.” Shazam! Fury Of The Gods” didn’t cost as much, but it also took it in the teeth, only grossing $133.8 million worldwide. “Blue Beetle” is DC’s third movie of 2023, and the final film of the year should be “Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom,” which is scheduled for December 2023.

That film has been riddled with reports of multiple rounds of reshoots to fix the movie (aka, it’s not great and needs work). At one point, ‘Lost Kingdom’ had Michael Keaton’s Batman in a cameo, then Ben Affleck’s Batman in lieu, but now it seems most of the surprise appearances have been nixed as the DC Universe keeps shifting.

DC Studios’ James Gunn has already suggested that he’s wiping most of the current DC Universe slate clean in favor of his own plans. However, he also indicated that “Blue Beetle” could stick around for his new iteration. But that may depend on how audiences receive the film and how it does at the box office. A $30 million opening would be on par with the “Shazam!” sequel and wouldn’t necessarily be something to write home about.

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Rodrigo Perez is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Playlist, which he launched in 2007. He has worked in entertainment journalism since 2000, including at MTV, and has written for SPIN, IndieWire, Pitchfork, Complex, Magnet, and various music, film, and entertainment publications over the past two decades.

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Rodrigo Perez
Rodrigo Perez
Rodrigo Perez is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Playlist, which he launched in 2007. He has worked in entertainment journalism since 2000, including at MTV, and has written for SPIN, IndieWire, Pitchfork, Complex, Magnet, and various music, film, and entertainment publications over the past two decades.

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