Blue Beetle arrived at an odd time. Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto and starring Xolo Maridueña, the movie was expected to provide a new, fresh perspective on the DCEU, which, aside from Shazam!, had mostly delivered adult-oriented storylines. Unfortunately, it ended up landing right in the middle of a massive shift for DC on film. Prior to the film coming out, DC Studios was formed, and James Gunn and Peter Safran were picked to create a brand-new cinematic universe for Warner Bros. Discovery.
As such, Blue Beetle (among other projects like The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) felt somewhat forgotten leading up to its release. James Gunn countered that perception by revealing that Xolo Maridueña's Jaime Reyes would be brought into the DCU fold. An animated continuation of the film was also announced, with Maridueña set to return. Now, an interesting development has come regarding the movie.
James Gunn took to Threads and Instagram stories to announce that Blue Beetle,—which was originally streaming on HBO Max—is now also available on Netflix. The director stated: "Blue Beetle now on Netflix."
The film will not be removed from HBO Max. Instead, it will be available there and on Netflix. As an aside, following the announcement, a fan replied to Gunn's post. They asked why Blue Beetle couldn't stay on the same streaming service as Peacemaker, given how difficult it was for them to find where Creature Commandos was available.
Gunn explained Blue Beetle would remain available on HBO Max, but that people not subscribed to the service could now watch it on Netflix: "Creature Commandos and Peacemaker are on the same streaming service, HBO Max. And Blue Beetle is there too. But now, people who only have Netflix can watch it again."
The movie being released on Netflix isn't necessarily indicative of anything. Teen Titans Go!, for example, is available to stream on both Netflix and HBO Max. What could (emphasis on "could") be interesting is the fact that James Gunn shared the announcement.
Could an Announcement Be on the Way for Blue Beetle?
Now, reasonably speaking, Gunn posting the announcement could have been nothing but brand synergy. Jaime Reyes is expected to play a role in the DCU, so highlighting the fact that his standalone movie is available on arguably the most popular streaming service on the planet could raise awareness for the project and the character. However, let's theorize for a bit, because there is a fun possibility regarding his post.
Gunn is known for enjoying teasing upcoming projects and ideas on social media. Case in point, he posted a picture of Mister Terrific before he was revealed to be part of the Superman cast. Movies and TV show constantly pop up on different streaming services, and there's typically little need to make a buzz about it. The fact that James Gunn specifically chose to highlight Blue Beetle's alternative streaming home could mean DC Studios is gearing up to make an announcement related to the hero.
Such announcement could be an update for the in-development Blue Beetle animated series, for example. Going a little bit further down the speculation road, it could also be the reveal of a future appearance in a separate DC Studios project. Though that may sound unlikely, it feels somewhat plausible when taking into account recent comments from James Gunn. Speaking to IMDb during press for Peacemaker Season 2, the interviewer expressed his desire to see Blue Beetle in an upcoming DCU project. Gunn replied:
"Well, you know, I won't say you're not in luck."
Taking that statement into account, Gunn's latest Blue Beetle post could, in theory, be sneakily signaling DC Studios having plans for the character. That might be even more plausible considering the fact that Bue Beetle was developed under a different leadership than the one currently in place. Gunn should, in theory, have no need to highlight the project, unless its main character were, indeed, a relevant part of his nascent superhero universe.
Having said all of that, as previously mentioned, realistically speaking, the most plausible answer is that there's no major information coming for Jaime Reyes, and Gunn simply shared Blue Beetle's Netflix release as marketing for the character given his planned future in the DCU. Still, the sheer possibility of getting an update regarding his future is exciting nonetheless.
Blue Beetle is now streaming on HBO Max and Netflix.
What do you think about Blue Beetle? Are you excited about the hero's upcoming animated series?