Though Blue Beetle's post-credits scenes did tease the eventual debut of Ted Kord, they weren't particularly eventful as it relates to other DC Comics characters outside of Jaime Reyes' world. However, director Angel Manuel Soto has now revealed that a well-known hero was referenced in the opening credits.
If you haven't seen the film yet, this may count as a minor spoiler.
As the Scarab hurtles through space on its way to Earth, we see a bright green bolt glance off the alien artefact and send it in a different direction. Fans speculated that this may have something to do with Green Lantern, and it's now been confirmed.
"If you watch [Blue Beetle] a second time, or even three times, you'll find different Easter eggs each time," Soto told Heroic Hollywood in a recent interview. "Did you notice the green lightning bolt in the intro? That's Green Lantern!"
Of course, adding a little Easter egg for fans is one thing, but whether this is actually supposed to be laying the groundwork for Green Lantern (be it Hal Jordan or another ring-slinging hero) to be introduced in a sequel is debatable.
If Blue Beetle does get a sequel - and its box office numbers do not bode well - then it will be under the DCU banner, and James Gunn and Peter Safran may decide to take the story in a completely different direction.
"Recent college grad Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it," reads the synopsis. "As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab."
"When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armour capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero Blue Beetle."
The cast also includes Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, and Raoul Max Trujillo.
Blue Beetle is set to be released in theaters on August 18, 2023.