DC Films and Warner Bros. have announced that Angel Manuel Soto will direct their upcoming superhero movie Blue Beetle.
Soto, known for last year’s Charm City Kings, will work from a script by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (the upcoming Scarface remake). The studios are obviously aware of the importance of bringing on Latino filmmakers for the project (Soto is Puerto Rican, Dunnet-Alcocer is Mexican), as it will be the DC Extended Universe’s first Latino-led superhero story.
The Blue Beetle moniker has been used by numerous individuals since it was first created by Charles Wojtkowski for Fox Comics in 1939. It even bounced around different companies before DC picked it up in the ’80s when Charlton Comics went out of business. The current iteration, and the one that will form the basis for the movie, centers on Jamie Reyes, an El Paso teenager from a tight knit family.
Reyes discovers a mysterious scarab that turns out to be a gift left to ancient Egyptians by an alien race. When the scarab fuses to Reyes’ spine, it grants him control of a suit of armor that can create its own weaponry and wings for flight. However, this extraterrestrial “gift” isn’t the act of interplanetary generosity it might appear to be.
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“It is an honor to direct Blue Beetle, the first Latino superhero film for DC,” Soto told TheWrap. “I want to sincerely thank everyone at Warner Bros. and DC for trusting me to bring Jaime Reyes to life. I can’t wait to make history together.”
While Blue Beetle will be the DEU’s first movie centered on a Latino character, another major Latino superhero will likely beat it to the screen. Last week, it was revealed that Sasha Calle had been cast as Supergirl in the upcoming The Flash. That movie is set for a November 4th, 2022 release, while Blue Beetle currently has no target date.
