Blue Beetle's Emphasis On Family Could Be What The New DC Universe Needs
The upcoming "Blue Beetle" movie is one of the last leftover projects from Walter Hamada's DCEU, one of the last unconnected DC movies before James Gunn hits the big reset button on the DC universe and makes everything annoyingly connected (even if it makes no sense).
But before DC goes through its own Crisis on Infinite Earths event, there is plenty of reason to be excited about "Blue Beetle." The trailer has some big anime influences — that giant sword at the end looks straight out of "Bleach" — and, of course, big Latino representation in a first for live-action, it is set to bring non-Kryptonian aliens to the DC universe, and it also just looks like a fun '90s sci-fi family adventure.
Yet, arguably the biggest reveal and focus of the trailer is on protagonist Jaime Reyes' family and friends. From the first second of the trailer, Jaime is surrounded by loved ones that nag him and make fun of him at work, but deeply care about and support him.
We don't know many specifics about the story of "Blue Beetle" or what Jaime's connection to the larger DC universe will be (beyond that cool "Batman is a fascist" line), but that's okay, because the trailer has already presented the key to standing out from the superhero crowd.
Family first
When you think of recent DC movies, it's hard to think of many side characters who are not either sidekicks or superhero allies that the hero only meets after they put on their costume. Other than Alfred, and maybe a couple of the Amazons in "Wonder Woman" who show up for a few minutes, who else is there?
The closest movie to give us a proper network of friends and loved ones to the hero is "Shazam!", and even then that film (which is all about family) only has Billy hanging out with one of his adoptive siblings by the time he gains powers. The rest of the Shazam family only really come into play later — and because of the powers, not in spite of them. Likewise, "Aquaman," "Wonder Woman," "Birds of Prey," and even the Christopher Nolan "Batman" trilogy all mostly focus on the superhero chapter in their respective superheroes' story, with allies and acquaintances mostly associating with the superhero persona rather than their secret identity.
But "Blue Beetle" is already proving to be different. At a press event for the trailer release, /Film got the chance to talk to director Angel Manuel Soto and star Xolo Maridueña, who discussed the importance of family to Jaime's story. "His family is right there on that first transformation," Maridueña said. "So to good luck keeping a secret ... it can't happen without the family."
The idea of the secret identity used to be integral to the very idea of superhero stories until the Marvel Cinematic Universe did away with them, and having a young superhero whose family is aware of his powers seems like it will lead to some fun shenanigans.
You gotta stand out
The best Marvel movies understand the importance of good side characters. From the very first "Iron Man" (still one of the best MCU movies), we got to know not only the hero, but those around them. We lived in their world and grew attached to those close to them before the superheroics ever really began. We knew Happy Hogan, we knew Pepper Potts, we knew Rhodey, and we understood what they meant to Tony before he ever built his suit; once he became Iron Man, we had the foundation of knowing there were people who genuinely cared about him as more than just an Avengers founder.
That's why movies like "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and the first two "Ant-Man" movies, as well as "Mrs. Marvel," work so well: We get a sense of who these people are outside of the costume. Peter Parker and Kamala Khan are great characters because they are also just teenagers with teenage problems, bullies, and crushes, while Scott Lang's group of ex-con friends became some of the best characters in the MCU, without the need to be known comic book names.
We don't know what the future holds for Jaime or if he will be a significant part of James Gunn's new DC Universe moving forward, but this trailer shows that "Blue Beetle" is already on a path to deliver something that DC has been sorely missing.