“Blue Beetle” may suffer the same fate as “Shazam!”: DC fans are worried

Blue Beetle, the fourteenth movie in the DC Extended Universe, is based on Jaime Reyes, also known as Blue Beetle, a DC Comics character.

I just hope WB markets Blue Beetle well. This movie might truly be the underdog of CBMs rn and if it’s marketed strongly, I know for a fact it’s going to be successful. Here’s hoping that the first trailer for it releases in the next two months 🤞🏼 pic.twitter.com/QH2e8ukcxn

— Anthony🦇⚡️ (@anthony_bats) March 20, 2023

The current slate of previous DCEU films may be the biggest loser of Peter Safran and James Gunn’s takeover and subsequent rebranding, surpassing Zack Snyder acolytes and possibly Marvel Studios. 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods made its theatrical debut this past weekend. It is the first movie to come out after Gunn announced the new roadmap, and if the box office results for Shazam! 2 are any indication, interest in that project has all but vanished, including Warner Bros.

The second DCEU film from director David F. Sandberg brought in $30 million domestically, falling short of initial expectations.

The new “Shazam” only had a poor B+ CinemaScore, and critics didn’t receive it as well as its predecessor.

Just recently has “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” been a disaster in the DC film universe, which hasn’t recently had a good track record under Gunn and Peter Safran’s direction. That ought to change.

The team has already discussed their plans, which will formally reboot with the following first slate, named “Gods and Monsters,” beginning with 2025’s “Superman: Legacy.”

That puts the DC movie lineup for this year in limbo. “The Flash” ( approved by Tom Cruise),  James Wan’s “Aquaman” sequel with B-movie influences, and — perhaps most significantly — “Blue Beetle” must all be accepted or ignored by moviegoers before the next reinvention of the Man of Steel.

The DCU’s marketing efforts may perhaps be beginning to seem more and more like a lost cause.

The Cast & Release Date For The Upcoming DCEU Film “Blue Beetle”

Aside from Xolo Mariduea (in his theatrical debut as Reyes),  Belissa Escobedo, Elpidia Carrillo,  George Lopez, Bruna Marquezine, Adriana Barraza, Raoul Trujillo, Damián Alcázar, and Susan Sarandon all appear in the 14th DCEU movie, Blue Beetle. 

Angel Manuel Soto directed the film, while Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer gave the screenplay. DC Studios, S&K Pictures, Entertainment One, and the Safran Company are among the producers & Blue Beetle will get distributed by Warner Brothers Picture.

By the end of November 2018, Dunnet-Alcocer had joined the movie’s cast that would star Reyes and was in early development. In February 2021, Soto received a contract to helm the film for the HBO Max streaming service. Mariduea got cast in the movie that August. The release date got shifted to December for theatres.

Before filming from late May to mid-July at Wilder Studios in Decatur, Georgia,  the Atlanta metropolitan area, El Paso, Texas, and Puerto Rico, additional casting took place in early 2022.

On August 18, 2023, Blue Beetle gets slated for release in the US.

How Blue Beetle Can Prevent Fail-Like Shazam 2

One may argue that DC wasted the “Fury of the Gods” promotion because it didn’t believe in the movie. Casual viewers scoffed at boilerplate trailers with pop-rack songs and standard end-of-the-world spiels. What’s the point when die-hard fans already know that the DC Extended Universe will get rebooted? 

If a picture doesn’t have implications, viewers are less likely to attend a project involving a larger cinematic universe. Some may see Shazam as a figure separate from the bigger DC Extended Universe, but that isn’t the case, especially given how much the marketing emphasizes interconnectedness.

The Flash resets everything; Gunn made sure to note when presenting the forthcoming slate.

These are the 2 DC films that have had great test screenings and have a genuine buzz on social media. Can't wait to see them succeed. #TheFlash #BlueBeetle pic.twitter.com/AzXssWZNHO

— Gray Harden (@GrayHarden77) March 18, 2023

“Blue Beetle,” debuts a few months after the cinematic reset, escapes the curse of advertising itself as the following significant, related chapter of the previous DCEU. Like Shazam, if it succeeds, “Blue Beetle” may appear in the reboot. Otherwise, he won’t.

In terms of strength, the DC Comics character Blue Beetle is comparable to Marvel’s Iron Man. Yet because of a magical scarab, he has special abilities that interfere with his personal life. Jamie Reyes is a high school student seeking to organize his life and endowed with chaotic powers.

For the film to be successful, it must completely ignore any references to Superman or Batman in the existing franchise. DC could only distance itself from the franchise’s dismal critical reaction by positioning “Blue Beetle” as a stand-alone movie.

In a sea of superhero comedies, “Blue Beetle” must clearly state what sets it apart from the competition to get Boxoffice success. Here’s a simple and digestible suggestion: “Blue Beetle” should emphasize Jaime Reyes’ coming-of-age story. There isn’t any movie franchise that focuses on teenage superheroes besides the “Spider-Man” movies.

Xolo Mariduea possesses the attractiveness, energy, and fan base to become our next major star. There’s no reason DC can’t take advantage of the goodwill Mariduea has already built up if “Spider-Man” could make Tom Holland a global figure.