James Gunn recently (and somewhat confusingly) stated that Jaime Reyes is the first DCU character, while Superman: Legacy will be the first DCU movie. Though he didn't clarify, fans took this to mean that the Blue Beetle movie wouldn't necessarily be canon, but Reyes will stay on as the hero going forward.
This might be why Gunn and fellow DC Studios co-head Peter Safran were happy to take a step back and not get too involved with Blue Beetle's journey to the screen.
Director Angel Manuel Soto revealed that there was "not much" input from the studio heads during an interview with Total Film (conducted prior to the strikes).
"The studio always, generally, has their hands on it. As far as the essence of the story, [James Gunn and Peter Safran] liked what we were doing and they respected the vision and what we were trying to do with the film."
"They really did appreciate the fresh take, the nostalgic factor of how we start the film by taking the audience to see the family and fall in love with them for a prologue-of-sorts," he added.
The first reactions to Blue Beetle have been mostly very positive, but we won't get an accurate read on the critical consensus until the full review embargo lifts tomorrow. For now, you can check out a new poster below.
"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.