Credit: DC StudiosIn the wake of the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) merger last year, there were some significant organizational shifts resulting in the replacement of Walter Hamada, the former head of DC. Subsequently, WBD acquired James Gunn, the esteemed Marvel director recognized for his work on the Guardians of the Galaxy series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), who was then appointed as the fresh leader of DC Studios, alongside Peter Safran.
It’s noteworthy that Gunn possessed prior experience within the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), now rebranded as the DC Universe (DCU), having directed films like The Suicide Squad (2021) — notably distinct from the earlier Suicide Squad (2016) starring Jared Leto as the Joker. Currently, DC Studios is reportedly embarking on a totally unique endeavor — allegedly completely different from the offerings of Marvel Studios.
Related: Report: DC Gets Rid Of “Snyderverse”, ‘Justice League’ for Good
As part of the DC Universe’s (DCU) new Chapter One – Gods and Monsters, James Gunn is gearing up for a significant “reboot” of the former DCEU, aiming to start anew. Presently, the focus centers on DCU’s inaugural film, Superman: Legacy, already penned by Gunn just prior to the Writers Guild of America/WGA strike that’s now impacting Hollywood. The plot details of Superman: Legacy remain mostly under wraps, but what’s clear is that it will portray a younger Clark Kent as he navigates his role as Superman. Speculation regarding the casting of the titular Superman/Clark Kent and his partner Lois Lane created a buzz for a while, until recently when it was unveiled that David Corenswet (Hollywood) and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) would respectively assume these roles.
DC’s Doomed Blue Beetle
In the groundbreaking Latino culture-centric superhero film Blue Beetle (2023), Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), a recent law school graduate, takes a job under Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) to save his family’s home. Tasked with protecting the Scarab, a cosmic weapon, Jaime inadvertently bonds with the Scarab, and becomes the mighty Blue Beetle, gaining the powers to counter Victoria’s sinister plot and save the world.
The film’s ensemble includes Adriana Barraza as Nana, Damián Alcázar as Alberto Reyes, Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio Reyes, Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord, and Raoul Max Trujillo as Ignacio Carapax / OMAC. The story unfolds as Jaime navigates his newfound abilities, confronts Victoria Kord’s ambitions, and ultimately becomes the hero the world needs.
DC Studios Actively Killing off Own Movie
The year 2023 has posed significant challenges for DC Comics properties at the box office. With the official end of the Justice League Snyderverse helmed by Zack Snyder, Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) was the first significant setback for the studio since WBD reshuffled DC Studios. Preceding this was another DC flop, Black Adam (2022) (AKA the infamous Dwayne Johnson passion project). This was followed closely by an even larger box office disappointment, The Flash (2023), which similarly fell short of meeting DC fans’ expectations.
Now, DC Studios has recently dropped some news that caused a fair amount of fan uproar.
Related: DC’s Choice of Robin for Upcoming ‘Batman’ Reboot Questioned by Fans
Twitter (now X) user @NicholasPas5 posted the following reaction to The Hollywood Handle’s shocking news from DC Studios — that Warner Bros. Discovery have already announced the date that Blue Beetle will go digital. Nicholas is astonished, believing that WBD are actively sabotaging their own film with a move like this — seeing as the film merely came out last Thursday:
The movie came out LAST THURSDAY and already has a digital release date…
WB what are you doing???
The Hollywood Handle (quoted): ‘BLUE BEETLE’ hits digital platforms on September 19. Find out what other movies are releasing on digital next month: bit.ly/DSep23
The movie came out LAST THURSDAY and already has a digital release date…
WB what are you doing??? https://t.co/uf75S9DYdN
— Nicholas (@NicholasPas5) August 23, 2023
Users like @SpiritDiveRamon were shocked, reminding everyone that the movie was not even out around the world — referencing Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios sleeper hit, Elemental (2023), which turned its box office performance around after sticking it out in theaters throughout the summer:
Ramon: Movie not even out around the world, and did they not learn anything from elemental
Nicholas: This could be a sleeper hit if they just let it try and gain some legs at the box office, now this is just telling ppl to wait a month
This could be a sleeper hit if they just let it try and gain some legs at the box office, now this is just telling ppl to wait a month
— Nicholas (@NicholasPas5) August 23, 2023
This definitely sounds like DC Studios is more or less sounding the death knell for the severely underrated film.
Do you think DC Studios is making a mistake by announcing Blue Beetle‘s digital release already? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The DC Universe (or DCU) is owned by Warner Bros Discovery, and originally termed the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Previously, the DCEU was more or less helmed by Zack Snyder, whose popular “Snyderverse” Justice League (2017) had its fair share of fans. Finished by Marvel alum Joss Whedon, which consists of Superman/Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman/Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), The Flash/Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg/Victor Stone (Ray Fisher). The DCU is now run by ex-Marvel director James Gunn, writer and director of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, in conjunction with Peter Safran. Based on the DC Comic world, the new reboot of the DC Universe under Gunn is set about to begin, with anything from the comic books — everything from Superman (and upcoming Superman Legacy), to Lex Luthor, and even the Green Lantern, or Black Adam — about to be reshaped for the new DCU.
Upcoming DC Comic-inspired movies include Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) by director James Wan and Joker: Folie á Deux (2024) starring Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn and Joaquin Phoenix as the eponymous Joker.