With some comic book fans outright perplexed at the time, in December 2021 it was announced Blue Beetle would be getting a theatrical release instead of an exclusive HBO Max release. As time went on, casting statements were also released, confirming that Xolo Maridueña would play the teenager who inherits the infamous alien scarab technology. Susan Sarandon is stepping into the role of Victoria Kord, the villain of the movie whose details are not yet known.

Considering this movie was made before James Gunn’s strategic placement as the head of the DCU, it has yet to be shoved onto the chopping block along with Wonder Woman III, Man of Steel 2, and Michael Keaton’s Batman Beyond. An updated poster came out at this year’s biggest pop culture festival in the world, CCXP, showcasing the detailed logo of the upcoming movie. However, the one question that still remains in everyone’s mind is how this once minor superhero could fit into Gunn’s new vision for the DCU.

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Blue Beetle Has Appeared in Many Stories

     DC Comics

Unbeknownst to casual comic book fans, Blue Beetle has had a long history of team-ups and crossovers within DC comic books that span all the way from being a supporting member in the Teen Titans, having cameo appearances in the Outsiders as well as saving the Justice League. The writers of 52, a weekly comic book series that led to the ultimate Countdown to Final Crisis storyline, actually introduce the concept of there being numerous other variants of Blue Beetle that all originate from Elseworlds stories too. These include a steampunk version coming out of the Gotham by Gaslight story and Blue Scarab, a science fiction take on the hero.

When it comes to Jamie Reyes specifically, who is not only the third iteration of the Blue Beetle but also the version that is going to be depicted in the upcoming movie, one has to assume that Reyes is going to be the one donning the costume in James Gunn’s new DCU as well. Introduced in 2006 within the pages of Infinite Crisis, he differs from the past incarnations by offering a more mystical take on the beetle with unique traits like the scarab instantly bonding to the human body and then offering up the powerful and defensive suit of armor.

The Beetle’s Many Battles

     DC Studios

Early on in Jamie’s run as the Blue Beetle, the teenager had run-ins with other iconic DC characters including Guy Gardener, who is an esteemed but moody Green Lantern, Commissioner Gordan’s daughter Oracle, who is part of the Batman family, Phantom Stranger, and the current Peacemaker. At least two of those four names are already circulating, as Gunn has already stated that Green Lantern will be an important part of the DCU moving forward and Peacemaker is a hit show starring John Cena on HBO Max. Phantom Stranger and Oracle are definitely not out of the question regarding a suitable next home for the Blue Beetle, seeing as how Gunn favors the lesser-known characters and has a knack for blowing them up to a place of stardom.

While Titans is currently airing its fourth season on HBO Max and features popular names like Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Beast Boy, another teenage hero was ever prominent in the original comic series starting in October 2007. Along with the other team members, Blue Beetle comes face to face with names like Lobo, gains the upper hand on Future Flash in support of the Justice League, and gets yelled at by Superman’s arch nemesis Lex Luthor for always believing in a great divide between good and evil.

Rumors have been circulating of Jason Momoa dropping his Aquaman role in favor of a Lobo casting that is led by Gunn himself. Reyes could very well end up quarreling with the black-and-white bounty hunter himself if that project ever comes to fruition.

With last-minute changes taking place to The Flash, the Wonder Woman and Batman cameos could be replaced with a younger persona like Blue Beetle stopping a frenzied scarlet speedster trying to fix timeline mistakes. As for Lex Luthor, Blue Beetle can very well be making a stop in Metropolis if he needs help from many heroes residing there. In the meanwhile, Reyes running into a disgruntled Luthor could make for an interesting albeit quick battle.

Representation of Other Races

Milestone Comics has always made its voice heard when it comes to wanting representation of its characters on the big screen. It certainly comes as a good sign for the future when Blue Beetle has interacted with not one but two of these historic heroes. Static is rescued by Blue Beetle and the Teen Titans from the Dark Side Club and then later on Blue Beetle goes on a mission with none other than half human and half machine, Hardware, to retrieve stolen tech. Many fans have their fingers crossed that Milestone makes a well-deserved comeback and using Blue Beetle in their potential DCU stories might as well be the best way to do just that.

The only way fans will know for sure where Jamie Reyes ends up next after his solo debut is to look out for any plot teases or end scenes in the upcoming Blue Beetle movie, which premieres in theaters on August 18th, 2023.