As the new year draws near, a new Blue Beetle movie poster arrives giving the first look at the DC superhero’s Neon Scarab from the upcoming film. The film will mark the DC Universe debut of Jamie Reyes, an El Paso teenager who comes into possession of the alien artifact and finds it grafted to his body, granting him superhuman abilities and a powerful exosuit. Cobra Kai alum Xolo Maridueña is leading the ensemble cast of Blue Beetle alongside Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Adriana Barrraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Harvey Guillén and Susan Sarandon.
With just over eight months remaining until the film hits theaters, the official DC Comics Twitter has revealed the first Blue Beetle movie poster. The key art reveals the first look at the DCU superhero’s Neon Scarab and confirming the film’s theatrical exclusive release. Check out the poster below:
Blue Beetle’s Scarab DC Comics History Explained
Long before Jamie Reyes would take on the mantle for DC Comics, the Blue Beetle would make his comic book debut under the Charlton Comics banner, which had explained that the original hero, Dan Garret, received his powers through a special vitamin, before eventually changing his origins to a mystical scarab. As time went on, the scarab’s backstory would be further expanded on, revealed to be a piece of alien technology for the race known as the Reach, who began presenting their technology to civilizations across the galaxy following a true with the Guardians of the Universe. Named after its serial number, Khaji Da, the scarabs are actually intended to control the host in order to allow the Reach to rise back up and conquer.
Unlike the rest, however, Blue Beetle’s scarab found itself damaged, establishing a symbiotic relationship with its wearers, instead of controlling them. Though Jamie and Ted Kord utilized this for their superhero activities, its backstory would change yet again with the DC Universe: Rebirth, the 2016 relaunch of the comic publisher’s entire roster of heroes, with Doctor Fate revealing to Kord that the scarab is not an alien device, but rather one imbued with magic. Kord and Jamie spent the remainder of the run determining a way to extract the scarab from the latter’s spine and investigate its origins further.
How Will Blue Beetle Fit Into The Wider DCU?
Though most reports have described Jamie’s scarab in the film as being a piece of alien technology, considering Doctor Fate was recently introduced to the DCU with Black Adam, it would be interesting to see if Blue Beetle will take a page out of the DC Rebirth backstory. With rumors and speculation having swirled of Ted Kord’s involvement in the story after Sarandon was cast as Victoria Kord and the main antagonist is expected to be Carapax the Indestructible Man, one of Ted’s recurring antagonists, the film could tie into the larger DCU with a flashback featuring Pierce Brosnan’s Justice Society of America hero interacting with Ted. Only time will tell when Blue Beetle hits theaters on August 18.
Source: DC/Twitter