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DC's 'Blue Beetle' Trailer Teases New Teen Hero Played by the Kid from 'Cobra Kai'

By Nate Parker | Film | April 3, 2023 |

By Nate Parker | Film | April 3, 2023 |


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Blue Beetle has seen multiple incarnations since its 1939 debut. From a super-powered cop to an archeologist and finally a Mexican-American teen named Jaime Reyes, Blue Beetle’s powers and origin have been retconned numerous times. The latest version, popularized both in print and the WB\DC cartoon Young Justice, gets his powers from a nanotech scarab designed by mysterious extraterrestrials with questionable motives and a mind of its own.

How far the Blue Beetle movie goes into this history remains to be seen. It looks to be headed in the right direction, with young Jaime (Xolo Maridueña, Miguel from Cobra Kai) selected by the scarab after it’s stolen from Kord Industries. The Young Justice version is a lot of fun, and this trailer has a similar tone.

Directed by Angel Manuel Soto, who also directed the powerful Charm City Kings, Blue Beetle’s preview suggests a distance from its DC predecessors that might be key to its success. Teen superheroes and coming-of-age stories aren’t exactly rare these days, but Jaime’s tale looks different enough from Shazam!, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Ms. Marvel to hold its own. Super-suits aren’t unique either, but with its own personality and goals, the scarab adds a layer of complexity missing from the Iron Man saga. Plus, Jaime isn’t as much a privileged dong as Tony Stark. The supporting cast is a mix of fresh faces and masters of their craft that includes Susan Sarandon, George Lopez, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, and Harvey Guillén. And the “Batman’s a fascist” line cracked me up, so I’m in.

Blue Beetle soars into domestic theaters August 18.