Beyond Zack Snyder loyalists and maybe Marvel Studios, perhaps the biggest loser of Peter Safran and James Gunn’s takeover and subsequent rebrand is the current slate of old DCEU. This past weekend saw the theatrical debut of Shazam! Fury of the Gods; the first film to be released following Gunn’s announcement for the new roadmap, and if the box office numbers surrounding Shazam’s second outing is any indication, interest has been largely abandoned, and that includes Warner Bros. itself.
Indeed, one may be forgiven for not realizing that Fury of the Gods has hit theaters, or even that the film exists at all. With the rest of the world setting its sights on the DCU, marketing efforts may be looking like more of a sunk cost every day.
Only time will tell if these misfortunes are mirrored on fellow tail-end DCEU films Blue Beetle, The Flash, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but with the former gearing up for a release later in the summer, the hopeful few on r/DC_Cinematic continue to cross their fingers for Jaime Reyes to be done justice not only on the big screen, but in the world of advertising as well.
One user pointed out how it will likely boil down to how confident the studio is in Blue Beetle‘s success, with others pointing out that his distinction as the first big Latino superhero could also easily translate to a pull in viewership. All that’s missing is confidence in Warner Bros. to not mishandle its available tools.
A few other responders suggested that Blue Beetle is disconnected enough to have its continuity jump ship to the DCU, which perhaps defeats the goal of simply just being a good film without the need for interconnectivity, but whatever works.
In any case, we’re hoping that star Xolo Maridueña’s foray into the comic book film industry is a positive one, given that it’s not only his feature film debut, but that he’s doing so by stepping into the shoes of one of DC’s most interesting characters. And since it doesn’t have the burden of being a sequel like its Shazam! and Aquaman counterparts, Blue Beetle just might be Warner Bros.’ best bet for one last DCEU hurrah.