The DCEU is all set to end with its final phase of films before making way for James Gunn’s DCU. After The Flash, Blue Beetle is gearing up for release. The film stars Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, a teenager who gets the responsibility of hosting the Scarab, an armor that turns him into Blue Beetle, a superhero.
Most fans remember Blue Beetle from the acclaimed animated show Young Justice. The character is all set to make his big-screen debut. However, there is one aspect that made the Young Justice iteration of the character so much better.
Jaime Reyes And The Blue Beetle
Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle will be the character’s big cinematic debut. While DCU CEO James Gunn has not taken extra effort to promote the film, he has mentioned that Maridueña’s James Reyes will be the first character in his new shared cinematic universe. While the DCU itself will begin with the Gunn-directed Superman: Legacy, Blue Beetle is one of the characters who will carry over from the DCEU.
So, who is Blue Beetle? Earlier iterations of the character saw the superhero as a crime-fighting police officer who gains superpowers through ingesting Vitamins as well as mystic abilities from an ancient Egyptian entity called the Scarab. The most recent and the most popular iteration of the character is Jaime Reyes, a Mexican teenager who is tasked with hosting the Scarab, which is an alien technology that gives Reyes superpowers. Reyes is played by Xolo Maridueña in the new film.
The Blue Beetle film is set to follow the origins of Reyes as he graduates college and moves back to his hometown. The main antagonist will be Victoria Kord, who is after the Scarab and will clash with Maridueña’s Jaime Reyes.
How Is Xolo Maridueña’s Jaime Reyes Different From Other Iterations?
Reyes has made many appearances in different media, with the most popular depiction being in the animated series Young Justice. In Young Justice, the Scarab, the alien technology that grants Reyes superpowers has a separate voice that acts as a guiding light and often makes decisions. The Scarab is severed from The Reach, the creators of the Scarab, and has its own autonomy.
The Scarab’s chemistry with Reyes is one of the highlights of the show, with many praising the different personality voice actor Eric Lopez gives to the Scarab. The clash of their personalities also adds to the conflict within Jaime as he works with the Team, a group of young superheroes who are part of the Justice League.
Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle also takes the decision of giving a voice to the Scarab. In the live-action adaptation, the Scarab or Khadi-Ja is voiced by singer and actress Becky G. The treatment the film gives is more akin to an AI being who controls the suit. It seems similar to that of J.A.R.V.I.S or F.R.I.D.A.Y, which are Tony Stark’s AI control systems in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
From the trailers, Becky G’s portrayal of the Scarab seems to be more robotic and devoid of personality. The banter and conflicting personalities of Eric Lopez’s portrayal made the character of Jaime Reyes so endearing and it seems to be missing from the live-action film. This marks yet another possible misfire from the DCEU.
Source: CBR
