It’s hard to say exactly when it happened, but it’s clear as day that Warner Bros. has all but cut its losses with the DC Extended Universe. Look, we get it; perhaps putting effort towards a cinematic universe that’s about to bite the dust isn’t the greatest business move (especially when you have whales like Barbie to invest in), but the sparse marketing treatment received by Blue Beetle, the first live-action superhero movie to feature a Latino lead no less, has been downright insulting.
Fortunately, the internet exists, meaning that if the fan passion is there, even the most poorly-advertised movies can find more than a few legs in the box office forecast. Blue Beetle was one of these movies, with its legion of pre-emptive superfans – affectionately known as the “Blue Beetle Battalion” – singlehandedly rocketing the film’s box office projections by a whopping 300 percent, bringing its expected opening gross to $30 million at the time of writing.
And as one can safely imagine, director Ángel Manuel Soto has been absolutely tickled pink by the development, and was more than happy to express his gratitude in a recent interview with DiscussingFilm, calling the Battalion’s efforts the exact sort of moviegoing culture he wishes were more widespread.
That type of energy is the type of energy that I only wish every movie has. I love cinema, and I love when people rally around to support each other, support fans, or support actors and creatives. Seeing this group of people that I don’t even know show so much love gives me a little bit of hope on humanity.
Soto makes a bittersweet point, too; outside of the Barbenheimer trend, certain MCU screenings, and the revival of Warrior Nun, the post-COVID, streaming-heavy world doesn’t seem to embrace the more intimate, unified side of audiences like it used to. But, so long as Tom Cruise draws breath, the fight for such a return rages on.
Blue Beetle lands in cinemas on Aug. 18.