New ‘Blue Beetle’ Trailer: Xolo Maridueña Fights DC Super-Villain Susan Sarandon

After “Black Adam”, we have “Blue Beetle”.

The last entry of the DC Extended Universe’s old guard, before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as co-CEOs of the DCU, marks Xolo Maridueña’s first starring role on the big screen. The “Cobra Kai” breakout stars Jamie Reyes, aka the Blue Beetle, who gains superpowers after coming into contact with an extraterrestrial Beetle. Susan Sarandon plays the supervillain mastermind trying to steal the military-grade Beetle, along with his henchmen.

In the film, recent college graduate Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home isn’t quite the way he left it. As he tries to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Beetle. When the Beetle suddenly chooses Jaime as its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with incredible armor with extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.

“Blue Beetle” is completed by George Lopez, Harvey Guillén, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar and Raoul Trujillo, who plays the villain Carapax the Indestructible Man. The comic film is directed by Angel Manuel Soto from a screenplay written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer.

The first trailer for ‘Blue Beetle’ captured the origin story behind the character who was created in 2006 for the ‘Infinite Crisis’ comic book storyline. The independent film was announced in 2021 and originally slated for the then-titled streaming platform HBO Max before Warner Bros. opted for a summer theatrical release.

The fate of the Blue Beetle character was hinted during a January 2023 press event, during which DC co-CEO Gunn assured that the DCU will not be a “Marvel 2.0”.

Fellow executive Safran added, “There’s no reason any of the characters and the actors who play those characters aren’t a part of the DCU going forward.”

Of note, Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam is no longer moving forward in the franchise and “Wonder Woman 3” starring Gal Gadot has been scrapped.

“Blue Beetle” premieres August 18 from DC and Warner Bros. Check out the trailer below.