DC’s upcoming Blue Beetle film was nearly delayed to next year amidst the ongoing strikes in Hollywood, according to a recent report from Puck.
As both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes continue, a new report from Puck noted that several Hollywood studios have begun wondering if they should delay films due to the lack of promotion available.
With actors on strike and unable to attend premieres or do any promotion for their films, the report from Matthew Belloni and Jonathan Handel notes that Warner Bros. Discovery did consider pushing back Blue Beetle’s release date, which is now set for August 18, 2023.
However, the report notes, they eventually decided not to, and to go ahead with the release. The report comes just a few days after star Xolo Maridueña took to social media to share a message to fans about not attending any promotional events for the film.
As it stands, Blue Beetle will introduce the first character into James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe in the form of the titular hero. While Superman: Legacy will be the first full-fledged DCU film, Blue Beetle will be making his way into the new cinematic universe.
What do we know about Blue Beetle?
“Jaime Reyes suddenly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab,” reads the film’s synopsis. “When the Scarab chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he’s bestowed with an incredible suit of armor that’s capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.”
The Blue Beetle movie is directed by Angel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) from a screenplay adapted by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (Miss Bala). Cobra Kai breakout Maridueña stars in DC’s first stand-alone Latino-led superhero movie as Mexican-American teenager Jaime Reyes. Joining him are Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Brazilian star Bruna Marquezine (Breaking Through) as Penny, Belissa Escobedo (Sex Appeal, Hocus Pocus 2) as Milagro Reyes, George Lopez (The Spy Next Door) as Uncle Rudy, Adrianna Barraza (Babel) as Nana, Elpidia Carrillo (Predator) as Rocio, and Damián Alcázar (Narcos) as Alberto, with Becky G as the voice of Khaji-Da/ Scarab.
In the comics, Jaime Reyes was the third character in the comics to take on the mantle of the Blue Beetle, following Dan Garret and Ted Kord. His powers came from a Blue Beetle scarab that grafted itself to the base of Jaime’s spine, giving him a suit of extraterrestrial armor that can be modified to enhance his speed and strength, as well as create weapons, wings, and shields.
