Blue Beetle was originally produced as an HBO Max movie, with that and Batgirl set to launch a new era of lower-budgeted storytelling which would play out on the streaming platform.
It was an intriguing way to expand the DCEU, but when Warner Bros. merged with Discovery, CEO David Zaslav pulled the plug on those plans. Batgirl was scrapped and Blue Beetle ended up being reimagined for the big screen (though it's still unclear what exactly that entailed).
James Gunn has said Blue Beetle will be part of the new DCU, though we'd imagine that's going to hinge on the critical and commercial response to the movie.
According to lead star Xolo Maridueña, fans should go in expecting some big cameos, presumably further cementing the movie's place in the rebooted reality. "I think if you’re a DC fan, there’s going to be more than just one character that you recognize," he tells The Wrap. "I can tell you that."
"This is the first time that ‘Blue Beetle’ is coming to the big screen so that’s going to be amazing," Maridueña continued. "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."
According to those who watched Blue Beetle at test screenings, there were no cameos, so these have either been added in reshoots (Amanda Waller showing up to confront this powerful new metahuman would make sense) or Maridueña is referring to characters tied to Jaime Reyes' corner of the DC Universe.
A new trailer for Blue Beetle is also coming later today, and you can watch a teaser for that below.
Blue Beetle arrives in theaters on August 18.
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