There is a new superhero in the movie mix, and his name is Jaime Reyes, a.k.a. Blue Beetle. DC and Warner Bros. are developing aBlue Beetlemovie, the first Latino-led standalone superhero feature, according toThe Wrap. Mexican-born screenwriterGareth Dunnet-Alcocerwill pen the screenplay, withZev Foremanexecutive producing for Warner Bros.
Jaime Reyes' Blue Beetle first appeared in comic form in 2006’sInfinite Crisis #3(and makes our list of the 20 DC superheroeswe still need to seeon the big or small screen). Reyeshasappeared on the small screen, briefly, in the CW seriesSmallville, as well asin animated forminYoung Justice. As Gregory Ellwood wrote, “Unlike Ted Kord, whose Beetle would remind most moviegoers of Owl Man inWatchmen, Reyes’ abilities are provided by the powerful Blue Beetle scarab which has fused itself to his back. It transforms into a protective suit of armor around him that if you described as an alien Iron Man suit wouldn’t be that off base.”
Mexican-American teenager Jaime Reyes is the third iteration of the character, and as The Wrap adds, “[he] discovered the Blue Beetle scarab on the way home from school with two of his best friends Paco and Brenda, half-buried in a disused lot. Reyes took the scarab home, curious as to what it might be. That night, the scarab came alive, and grafted itself to the base of Jaime’s spine, and provided him with a suit of extraterrestrial armor which can be modified to enhance his speed and strength, as well as to create weapons, wings and shields.”
A few years ago (2015 to be exact), there were rumors of a Booster Gold and Blue Beetleteam-up movie, helmed by CW super-producerGreg Berlanti. That version would have featured the Ted Kord version of Blue Beetle, which honestly, we don’treallyneed. Jamie Reyes gives us something new and different within the crowded superhero landscape. Though there are Latino characters within the DC movie universe, (likeJay Hernandezas El Diablo inSuicide Squad, andRosie Perezas Renee Montoya in the upcomingBirds of Prey), this is certainly the first Latino hero to lead a solo film.
Let us know your thoughts on the project in the comments, as well as (of course) some of your top casting choices.
