Small Details You Missed In The First Trailer For Blue Beetle
After months of anticipation, DC has finally debuted the long-awaited trailer for "Blue Beetle." Originally set for release on HBO Max, the film is now set to hit local multiplexes later this summer, inspiring confidence in DC's latest. In the superhero flick, the young Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) is struggling to get by until his life changes when he finds himself inside Kord Industries — where he winds up in the care of a mysterious package. Upon opening it, Reyes finds the intriguing alien scarab, which immediately latches onto him. From there, the trailer goes into full action mode, showing off just how cool the Blue Beetle tech is.
While it remains to be seen if director Angel Manuel Soto's superhero flick has a place in James Gunn's rebooted DCEU, "Blue Beetle" looks like it can successfully stand on its own two feet. While plot details are slim, the first look at the film emphasizes Reyes' struggle with his newfound powers and relationship with his family, making this an entirely exciting entry to look forward to in the superhero film/coming-of-age canon. That being said, the trailer is chock-full of small details, Easter eggs, and nods to the DC universe that should have fans of the franchise giddy.
Pronunciation of Jaime Reyes' name is emphasized
While the "Blue Beetle" trailer is filled to the brim with clever action sequences and hilarious moments, the debut look at the film kicks itself off with an educational moment. As the trailer opens on Jaime Reyes, the first words we hear are his sister (Belissa Escobedo) saying his last name, emphasizing the correct pronunciation. Seeing as "Blue Beetle" is the first live-action superhero film to feature a Hispanic lead, this is a great way to let audiences know right off the bat how to properly pronounce the character's name.
As the trailer continues, Reyes can be seen dropped off at the Kord Industries building, with his family chanting his name loudly in support. Once again, the correct pronunciation of his first name is emphasized, setting up viewers and casual fans up for success when discussing the character.
Disney+'s "Ms. Marvel," which features a South Asian lead, also emphasized the correct pronunciation of its character's name (Kamala Khan) in the opening minutes of the pilot. As superhero films continue to become more diverse and inclusive, general audiences will come across characters with unique and different names that they're not used to. From the first "Blue Beetle" trailer, it's clear that the film will extensively explore Reyes' Hispanic background and familial relationship, which should set it apart from the other projects in the DC canon.
A glimpse of the Kord Industries building
"Blue Beetle" hits the ground running with Jaime Reyes' origin story but changes a thing or two from the comics. Early in the trailer, we see our hero going to Kord Industries, where Jenny (Bruna Marquezine) hands him the scarab. In the comics, Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle, runs the R&D company, playing a significant role in the DC Universe. Much like Wayne Enterprises, LexCorp, and S.T.A.R. Labs, Kord Industries is one of the major players in DC Comics, with Ted at the helm. During his tenure as Blue Beetle, Kord didn't have superpowers, fighting crime with the tech he created at the company. Over the years, Bruce Wayne, Lex Luthor, and others have either threatened to or have bought Kord Industries. However, with the comics' latest continuity, Ted Kord is once again the head of the company.
In "Blue Beetle," Susan Sarandon will play Victoria Kord, a new character created for the movie. Presumably, she will be the head of Kord Industries with some relation to Ted. It looks like she was experimenting on the alien scarab, which makes its way to Jaime. It remains unclear whether or not Ted will play a role in "Blue Beetle," but Kord Industries isn't the only reference to him in the trailer, so it seems likely he'll pop up at some point.
Big Belly Burger is a comics callback
Although the trailer for "Blue Beetle" is packed with Easter eggs, one, in particular, should come as a complete delight for long-time readers of DC Comics. While Jaime Reyes is seen waiting in the lobby of Kord Industries in the hope of getting a job, he recognizes Jenny and approaches her. She quickly gives him a fast food container with explicit instructions not to open said burger box. Of course, Jaime eventually lets his curiosity get the better of him, and instead of finding a delicious burger, Jaime finds the mysterious scarab that grants him fantastic powers.
The restaurant featured on the box is actually a great reference to the comics, and eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed the name of the fast food establishment — Big Belly Burger. This fictional restaurant made its first appearance in a 1988 comic of "Adventures of Superman," and since then, it has popped up in several comics, live-action CW shows like "Arrow" and "Supergirl," and even video games like "DC Universe Online" and "Batman: Arkham Origins." However, this notes the first time Big Belly Burger is directly featured in a DC movie, even though it was teased in promotional materials for "Justice League." Still, it is always nice to see long-running comic book references make it onto the silver screen.
Spot the two legacy Blue Beetle suits
With a character like Blue Beetle, it's nearly impossible to make a movie about Jaime Reyes without honoring those that came before him, and "Blue Beetle" showcases the previous heroes to hold the title.
Right at the end of the trailer, as Jaime mentions Batman, we see two super suits in the background. No, these are not prototype suits for our titular hero to wear — they're the costumes of two previous Blue Beetles. The left one, featuring red boots and gloves, belongs to the original Beetle, Dan Garrett, who debuted in Fox Comics in 1939. He was the first to wear the scarab, eventually making his way over to DC Comics. The second suit is none other than Ted Kord's iconic Blue Beetle costume. He first appeared in Charlton Comics' "Captain Atom" #83 before DC acquired them. Unlike the other Beetles, Kord didn't have the scarab, using his scientific mind to develop technology to fight crime. He later became a mentor for Jaime, but he gained massive popularity for his friendship with Booster Gold.
"Blue Beetle" perfectly leaves the third mannequin empty for Jaime, who will find his rightful place as the third Blue Beetle, introducing the character to mainstream audiences.
Jaime Reyes gets an age bump
It can be hard for superheroes who were introduced as teenagers to break away from their young roots. Spider-Man always has to start off in high school in each new film franchise, despite the fact he's been an adult a majority of the time in the comics. But hopefully, the new "Blue Beetle" movie can show that it's all right to age these heroes out of their high school demographic.
Jaime Reyes was just a kid when he first acquired the Blue Beetle technology in the comics. He's been a member of the Teen Titans, and he was featured prominently in the "Young Justice" cartoon series. However, for his live-action debut, it appears they've aged him up a bit. The film's description on YouTube refers to Jaime as a "recent college grad," which would imply he's in his early 20s. The trailer emphasizes this is an older Jaime by the fact we see him working a cleaning job as opposed to toiling away in a classroom.
Jaime's definitely still a youngster when compared to other DC heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman, but hopefully, aging him up brings an additional level of gravitas to entice people who maybe wouldn't be interested in seeing a "Blue Beetle" movie to give it a shot.