Spoilers ahead for The Flash.
The DC Universe has been growing through a ton of changes lately, thanks to new co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new vision. But a few upcoming DC movies were filmed before this change in leadership, including Blue Beetle. That flick was originally going to be released for streaming on HBO Max, before being set for a full theatrical release. And the movie’s director was just asked about which version of Batman is canon after the events of The Flash.
Not much is known about what Blue Beetle will bring to audiences, and there are currently countless questions about both the movie and the greater shared universe. This is especially true given The Flash’s ending, which seemingly made a major change to the identity of Batman. ReelBlend co-host Jake Hamilton recently asked Blue Beetle’s director Angel Manuel Soto about the potential Batman crossover ahead of his movie’s release. Protagonist Jaime Reyes is seen wearing a Gotham Law School merch in the movie, which is what prompted Hamilton’s line of questioning. Soto got honest about that choice, sharing:
When we thought about it we were like ‘Ok, it does make sense in order for the story to show Jaime Reyes and him coming home after studying abroad.’ We were like ‘Let’s just make him go.’ Because we knew he was starting pre-law. We’re like let’s send him to Gotham so that he can come with a Gotham Law School uniform and kind of just show the word that Jaime Reyes and Blue Beetle exist within the universe of DC.
The reasoning behind Jamie’s pre-law education has been revealed, and it was Angel Manuel Soto’s goal to help Blue Beetle feel like it was really part of the larger DCU. The shared universe pivoted away from major crossovers over the last few years, with each movie feeling more contained and director-driven. Still, any little reference is going to get moviegoers excited, and inspire fan questions and theories about the shared universe.
There have been questions surrounding Batman and Blue Beetle (which is important to the overall franchise) for quite some time now, after cast member George Lopez made it seem like the Caped Crusader was included in the blockbuster. But which version of Batman could it be: Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, or George Clooney (who had a surprise cameo in The Flash’s final scene). In the same interview filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto spoke about this ambiguity, offering:
As far as which Batman it is, that is actually a great question. We wanted to make it feel like it could probably belong to any of the Batmen that we’ve learned to love. And hopefully in the future we’ll see with who he teams up with.
How delightfully cryptic. It looks like the questions surrounding Blue Beetle might continue after its release in theaters. Gunn and Safran are still forming their new DCU, with the first slate of movies titles Gods and Monsters. As we’re introduced to a new version of Superman, we’ll have to see who ends up being the official Caped Crusader. Let’s just hope that Blue Beetle gets to have some big crossover moments sooner rather than later.
Blue Beetle is currently expected to arrive in theaters on August 18th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
