The debut teaser for the upcoming DC blockbuster was heavily focused on the physical transformation of Jamie Reyes (played by Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña), who transforms into the Blue Beetle after being attacked by a scarab. You can watch it below.
https://youtu.be/vS3_72Gb-bI
Pitched somewhere between the family-oriented hijinks of the Shazam! movies and the horror inflections of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, the first trailer suggests the revamped DCEU is getting off to a great start. There might even be crossovers already in the works, as Batman is called out for being a fascist right at the end.
What the Star and Director Have to Say
Zavvi heard from Maridueña and director Angel Manuel Soto, who discussed how the film aims to break new ground for the superhero genre.
As Maridueña explained: “We see some of these other superheroes who can hide from their family, but the family is right there from the first transformation, the fact they’re coming through this journey together is something we haven’t seen before in superhero movies, and it’s the beating heart of this movie.
"Jamie's journey can’t happen without his family, which is something we can all relate to – it's unapologetically Latino, but everybody will understand the journey they go through.
"Maybe in the second and third movies we’ll get the crazy alien stuff, but this movie is all very tangible, and rooted in today’s world: it's the world we know, but with a little bit of magic thrown in!"
Soto agrees that the family is at the beating heart of the film, offering a fresh perspective on the typical hero origin story.
He said: “One of the things we really wanted with the cast was to be as authentic as possible; we wanted to show the three generations, the first immigrant family who brought their sons, and the children who were born here. I really wanted to use who I thought were the best actors from Mexico City, I really wanted to bring over the actors that I respect who I grew up watching in Mexico who inspired me to become a filmmaker.
"I didn’t want the Hallmark cookie cutter Latinos – I wanted to look at the screen and totally relate to them, believe that I am seeing my uncles on screen! The cast took the film and made it theirs, which for me as a director, is the most satisfying thing: getting that authentic chemistry from a collective that feels like something I grew up with."
This is part of the reason that he's passionate about getting audiences to see Blue Beetle in IMAX when it arrives in UK cinemas later this summer.
“I try to be as immersive as I can with the projects I do, and the scope of IMAX allows you to be swallowed whole into the frame. I’m from Puerto Rico, so seeing something that looks like home in IMAX, rather than in a postcard or on the news, is really special to me.
"What better way to see a community like my own than on the biggest screen possible?”
Blue Beetle is released in UK cinemas on Friday, 18th August.
For all things pop culture, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
