Credit: Warner Bros.After a disappointing year with two massive box office flops, DC Studios may finally have a hit on their hands. And their savior is none other than Blue Beetle.
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2023 has been rough for DC Comics in movie theaters. Not only was Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) the biggest flop the studio had seen since the Zack Snyderverse began, but it was immediately followed by The Flash (2023), which was an even bigger box office bomb. On top of that, both movies followed Black Adam (2022), the Dwayne Johnson passion project that also failed to meet expectations.
Needless to say, this year was considered to be a bust for DC. However, just like in one of their movies, a hero has shown up in the studio’s time of need to be their saving grace. And that hero is Jaime Reyes, AKA the Blue Beetle.
Critics and Audiences Already Love ‘Blue Beetle’
The first Latino superhero epic, Blue Beetle (2023) tells the story of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) after he graduates from law school. After learning his family is about to lose their home, he takes a job working for Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) to help raise money. After being asked to protect the Scarab, a cosmic weapon, the item chooses Jaime as its host, turning him into Blue Beetle. It’s now up to him to stop Victoria Kord’s evil plan and save the world.
Expectations for the film weren’t high since the Blue Beetle character hasn’t really broken into the mainstream like Batman or Superman. But the film has become incredibly popular with critics, who praise the lighter comedic tone of the movie, the “magnetic performance” of lead Xolo Maridueña, and the incredible supporting cast, which includes George Lopez, Bruna Marquezine, Adriana Barraza, and Damián Alcázar.
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While the 78% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes is impressive, what’s even more impressive is the audience score, which is sitting at an incredible 94%. Particularly, audiences have been drawn to the family center of the film, with one audience member saying, “Action. Love. Familia. What more could you want?”
DC movies have been plagued with brooding films about the difficulties of being a superhero, so much so that it has pushed audiences away. After some of the biggest flops that Warner Bros. had ever seen, DC Studios needed a hit, and it looks like they’re finally getting it with Blue Beetle. Hopefully, we’ll see more of him in James Gunn’s version of the DCU.
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