Some good news for Blue Beetle fans! According to The Wrap, Warner Bros has tapped Angel Manuel Soto to direct the upcoming film.
Blue Beetle will be the first DC superhero movie headlining a Latino character. The screenplay, written by Mexican-born Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (Scarface, Miss Bala), has been in development since 2018.
For those who don’t know, the Blue Beetle is actually the namesake of three superheroes with the latest one currently published by DC Comics. The character’s history goes back over 80 years, to comics’ Golden Age. The film in development focuses on the current bearer of the name, Jaime Reyes. Reyes, a Mexican-American teenager from El Paso, TX, gains powers when an alien artifact attaches itself to his spine. The ‘scarab’ enhances his speed and strength, the ability to fly, and covers him in armor.
Reyes first appeared in 2006, during the Infinite Crisis event. Created by Justice League and Legion of Superheroes scribe Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and artist Cully Hamner (Green Lantern: Mosaic, Black Lightning: Year One), he quickly spun into his own comic. Blue Beetle served as a member of the Teen Titans and has appeared as a member of the team on the Young Justice animated series. Jaime made his live-action debut on Smallville in the episode “Booster” during its final season.
“It is an honor to direct Blue Beetle, the first Latino superhero film for DC,” Soto told The Wrap. “I want to sincerely thank everyone at Warner Bros. and DC for trusting me to bring Jaime Reyes to life. I can’t wait to make history together.”
Blue Beetle plans to begin shooting in the fall of 2021. Zev Foreman will executive-produce for Warner Bros. No word if it will be set in the DCEU. If it does, it could make a nice companion piece to the Shazam franchise.
Are you excited for Blue Beetle’s jump to the big screen?
