Amid the ongoing Hollywood strikes, the unveiling of “Blue Beetle” by Warner Bros. and DC Studios took place on a Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Rather than the anticipated star-studded blue-carpet premiere, a star-free “fan screening” graced the occasion.
Although the movie’s esteemed cast, including Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, and Academy Award winners Adriana Barraza and Susan Sarandon, couldn’t grace the event due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood buzzed with excitement and enthusiasm.
Director Ángel Manuel Soto walked the carpet alone (a trend he’s upheld during a significant portion of the movie’s promotional tour due to WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes). His spirits soared with the early acclaim surrounding the DC film. Ahead of the unique Los Angeles screening, Soto took the stage and acknowledged the “Blue Beetle” cast’s dedication on the picket lines.
“Today, they may not be here. But their battle is a noble one,” Soto shared. “It’s crucial that we recognize their heroic efforts. They’re forsaking a tremendous opportunity to witness themselves on this grand stage.”
“Blue Beetle” introduces Jaime Reyes, a recent graduate of Gotham Law who finds himself endowed with superhuman abilities when a foreign scarab attaches to him. Soto, most renowned for directing “Charm City Kings” in 2020, helms the film from a screenplay crafted by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. This marks a monumental milestone for DC Studios, as Jaime becomes the inaugural Latino superhero to lead a standalone movie for the comic book franchise.
Raoul Max Trujillo, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, and Belissa Escobedo are standing alongside the talents above. The film is slated to hit theaters on the upcoming Friday.
“We’ve poured our hearts and souls into ‘Blue Beetle’ with the hope that you, our audience, will embrace our stories,” Soto emphasized. “Embrace Spanish, embrace Mexican heritage, embrace Latino heritage. We invite you to join in our celebration.”
While critical reviews are yet to be unveiled, early viewers showered accolades on the film’s dynamic action sequences, coupled with its heartfelt narrative and distinct Latino cultural influences.
“‘Blue Beetle’ is an absolute delight,” tweeted Clayton Davis, Variety’s senior awards editor. “It’s humorous, surprisingly poignant, and showcases a star-making performance by Xolo Maridueña. The young talent shines. Director Angel Manuel Soto empowers Latinos’ supposed ‘invisibility’ into an impressive superpower. A truly inspirational piece. I now demand an Abuela origin story!”
Initially planned for streaming release alongside the shelved “Batgirl,” Warner Bros. decided to shift “Blue Beetle” to a theatrical premiere in 2022 before the appointment of James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-CEOs of DC Studios.
The movie is one of the last offerings from the previous DC Studios administration. The forthcoming “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” will conclude this era before the comic book universe reboots with Gunn’s “Superman: Legacy” in 2025.
“Blue Beetle” marks one of the pioneering blockbuster releases heavily impacted by the dual strike. Other films, such as Warner Bros.’ “Barbie,” Universal’s “Oppenheimer,” and Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” managed to complete substantial portions of their intended global press tours before actors joined writers on the picket lines on July 14. (Disney’s “The Haunted Mansion” also experienced significant disruptions, hosting its first post-strike red carpet premiere at Disneyland on July 15, with Director Justin Simien in attendance.)
With actors and writers sidelined from movie promotion, 27 Latino organizations joined forces to pen an open letter, urging the community to “amplify the work that countless Latino artists have worked so hard to create” and support films like “Blue Beetle” at the box office.
The letter, endorsed by prominent Latino Hollywood organizations, including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), LA Collab, Latino Film Institute, National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), and the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), underscores the potency of stories in driving social transformation. It declares, “Narratives transcend mere entertainment; they wield the potential for societal progress and the elevation of historically marginalized voices towards a fair and inclusive world.”
