We haven’t heard much about the DCEU’s Blue Beetle since the first official concept art was revealed at the virtual FanDome event earlier this year, but it looks as though Warner Bros. have plenty of confidence in the property.
Director Angel Manuel Soto’s comic book adaptation is set to begin production in March of next year, and it was originally announced to be joining Batgirl and Birds of Prey spinoff Black Canary as an HBO Max exclusive. However, the studio’s plans have now changed, and Blue Beetle is coming to theaters on August 18, 2023.
Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña headlines the project as Jamie Reyes, a teenager who stumbles upon a mysterious scarab artifact that imbues him with superpowers. A prime summer release date indicates that Warner Bros. have high hopes for Blue Beetle, which is now hitting the big screen just two months after Shazam! Fury on the Gods.
Naturally, fans will start to speculate if the currently-shooting Batgirl or in-development Black Canary will be getting the same treatment, but whatever Soto is cooking up appears to have won over the top brass if the plans to debut Blue Beetle on streaming have changed, and it’s been parachuted into the most lucrative time of the year for the theatrical industry instead.