Blue Beetle: What is DC's first Latino-led superhero movie about?

Cobra Kai actor Xolo Mariduena plays the lead in the Angel Manuel Soto-directed film, out next week in the UAE

Xolo Mariduena plays Mexican-American college graduate Jaime Reyes. Photo: Warner Bros Pictures

Blue Beetle is the newest entry into the DC Extended Universe.

The film tells the origin story of Jaime Reyes, also known as Blue Beetle, and is the 14th film in the DCEU. It also the first Latino-led superhero film. It currently has the highest rating on Rotten Tomatoes for a DC film this year, with a fresh rating of 79 per cent from 123 reviews (at the time of writing).

Here’s what to know about the film.

What is Blue Beetle about?

The film follows college graduate Jaime Reyes, who returns to his fictional hometown of Palmera City. He is chosen by an ancient relic of alien biotechnology known as the Scarab to be its symbiotic host, which in turn imbues him with high-tech battle armour and the ability to create any weapon imaginable.

Who is in it?

Cobra Kai star Xolo Mariduena stars as Mexican-American college graduate Jaime Reyes. He is joined by Susan Sarandon as businesswoman Victoria Kord and Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord, Jaime’s love interest and Victoria’s niece.

Others in the cast include Adriana Barraza as Jaime's grandmother, Damian Alcazar as Jaime’s father Alberto and George Lopez as Jamie’s uncle Rudy. Singer and actress Becky G voices the mysterious scarab.

When is the film out?

The film is out in US and UK cinemas on Friday, but will come to theatres in the UAE on Thursday.

How does Blue Beetle tie into the DCU?

It appears the movie will tie into James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Universe.

"We are part of the universe, we are part of the world, we are part of the plans that they have been creating for the future installments of the DCU, but we are not tied to all the films from the past,” said the film’s director Angel Manuel Soto.

“Yes, our movie lives in the world where superheroes exist. But that doesn’t mean that a certain event, or certain alliance, or certain things from the past dictate where our film is going.”

Soto also revealed there are plans for a Blue Beetle trilogy.

"Our first movie, the way we wanted to do it, was always with the mentality that we wanted to do two more, at least," he says. "And taking the traditional three-act structure of a story, we wanted our first movie to practically be the first act of a saga."