Blue Beetle has so far made just over $114 million at the worldwide box office, and while a moderate budget means it's not another huge DCEU flop, it's by no means a hit either.
DC Studios CEO James Gunn has insisted that Xolo Maridueña's Jaime Reyes will be part of the DCU and, while we think another solo outing is unlikely, he may well end up crossing paths with his fellow heroes in a different project (that Booster Gold TV show makes sense for obvious reasons).
Spider-Man: No Way Home and Marvel Studios veteran Phil Saunders has taken to Instagram to reveal that he was enlisted to create artwork for Blue Beetle when it was being pitched to Warner Bros. by producer Zev Foreman and writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer.
"They wanted three images that would capture the spirit of the movie to help get a green light from the studio," he recalls. "This first one expresses the joy and freedom of Jaime’s first flight. Zev and Garrett really wanted a hyper-saturated color palette in the spirit of Miami’s North Beach. Such a pleasure to paint!"
"[It was] a lot of fun evoking Jaime’s connection to the spirit and culture of the Keys, so close and yet so far from Kord and Palmera City. Writer [Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer] had such a clear eye for all the little cultural cues, (such as the right way to eat a taco!) it was an immense pleasure to get notes. It was also a blast getting a first crack at iconic designs such as the suit and the Bug Ship."
Following those establishing shots, Saunders found himself also putting his own unique spin on Blue Beetle's battle with the villainous Carapax.
"I really loved the POV of this shot suggested by writer [Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer], focusing less on the battle," the artist explains, "but on what it means to the community to have a hero of their own. I really wish this moment could have been in the final film."
Is this better than what we saw in Ángel Manuel Soto's movie? To some extent, yes, though you can also see how this work helped establish the tone of the best-reviewed DCEU movie since The Batman was released.
Take a closer look at this gorgeous Blue Beetle concept art below.
In Blue Beetle, recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. 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 armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero known as Blue Beetle.
The movie stars Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, Belissa Escobedo, Harvey Guillén, with Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez. Angel Manuel Soto directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer.
Blue Beetle arrives is still playing in select theaters.