Interview by Paul Salfen
Synopsis: 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 Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.
From Warner Bros. Pictures comes the feature film “Blue Beetle,” marking the DC Super Hero’sfirst time on the big screen. The film, directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, stars Xolo Maridueña in the title role as well as his alter ego, Jaime Reyes.
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 Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.
Starring alongside Maridueña (“Cobra Kai”) are Adriana Barraza (“Rambo: Last Blood,” “Thor”) as Jaime’s grandmother, Nana, Damían Alcázar (“Narcos,” “Narcos: Mexico”) as his father, Raoul Max Trujillo (the “Sicario” films, “Mayans M.C.”) as Carapax, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (“Monarch,”
“Dead Man Walking”) as Victoria Kord, and George Lopez (the “Rio” and “Smurf” franchises) as Jaime’s Uncle Rudy. The film also stars Elpidia Carrillo (“Mayans M.C.,” the “Predator” films) as his mother, Bruna Marquezine (“Maldivas,” “God Save the King”) as Jenny Kord, Belissa Escobedo (“American Horror Stories,” “Hocus Pocus 2”) as Jaime’s sister, Milagro, and Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”) as Dr. Sanchez.Soto (“Charm City Kings,” “The Farm”) directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer
(“Miss Bala”), based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with WalterHamada, Galen Vaisman and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.
The director’s creative team behind the scenes includes director of photography PawelPogorzelski (“Midsommar,” “Hereditary”), productiondesigner John Billington (“Bad Boys for Life”),editor Craig Alpert (“Deadpool 2,” “The Lost City”), Oscar-nominated costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo
(“Jojo Rabbit,” the “Thor” films), visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain (“The Suicide Squad,”“Aquaman”) and composer Bobby Krlic (“Midsommar,” the “Snowpiercer” series).A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, a Safran CompanyProduction, “Blue Beetle” soars into theaters only internationally beginning 16 August 2023 and in North America August 18, 2023. It will be
distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
BLUE BEETLE: THEN & NOW
Blue Beetle first appeared in Mystery Men Comics #1 in 1939 as Dan Garrett, an archaeologist who found a magic scarab in an Egyptian ruin. Blue Beetle later morphed into a new character, brilliant inventor Ted Kord, created by Steve Ditko and first appearing in Captain Atom #83 (1966). As time
passed, Blue Beetle morphed again, this time into our hero Jaime Reyes. First appearing in Infinite Crisis #3 in 2006 Jaime—created by Keith Giffen, John Rogers and Cully Hamner—is a college graduate with a close-knit Mexican American family living in El Paso, Texas. For the movie—the first-ever live-action film to feature Blue Beetle—the filmmakers took the opportunity to create a new home for Jaime and his family: Palmera City, a bright and bustling urban sprawl with its own unique heartbeat, much like Metropolis and Central City (but with numerous nods to El Paso and a handful of Easter eggs for its fans and residents).
