The first Blue Beetle trailer reveals a lot about Jaime Reyes’ story, previous Blue Beetles that have existed in this timeline, and how Blue Beetle ties into the DC Universe. Though Blue Beetle as a superhero alias has existed since 1939, Jaime Reyes was introduced in 2006 as the third character to become Blue Beetle in DC Comics lore. Despite being a relatively new character, Jaime has appeared in multiple animated TV shows, animated films, and video games ahead of his big-screen debut in Blue Beetle, starring Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes.
The Blue Beetle trailer does not settle whether Blue Beetle is part of James Gunn's DC Universe, although nothing is tying it to the previous DCEU either.
The fact that Blue Beetle releases after The Flash would suggest that it is part of the new DC Universe, yet Blue Beetle had already been filmed by the time James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios plans were announced. Either way, the Blue Beetle trailer is full of comic book Easter eggs and references that hint at its place in the overall DC world should it be part of the new franchise.
9 Blue Beetle’s Trailer Teases DC’s The Reach
At the beginning of the Blue Beetle trailer, Jaime mentions how “everything right now feels so out of reach.” While this could be just a regular line, this particular choice of words hints at major Blue Beetle villains from the comics – the Reach. Introduced as part of Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle lore but retconned into the previous Blue Beetles’ stories, the Reach are galactic conquerors that use highly advanced technology to invade and take over planets. It was the Reach who created the Scarabs and sent them to multiple planets. It was then the Scarabs’ mission to find local hosts and prepare them to be lieutenants for the Reach’s invasion.
Blue Beetle’s Scarab was retconned as a magic artifact during DC Rebirth, so it is difficult to say how Blue Beetle’s origin story will play out in the DC film. That said, tying Blue Beetle’s Scarab’s origins to alien conquers who have been planning to take over the world since the Dan Garrett Blue Beetle days would be the best way to converge all previous Blue Beetles into one relatively simple story. Whether the Reach will appear in Blue Beetle in any capacity remains to be revealed, although they could make for incredible Blue Beetle sequel villains.
8 Kord Industries Makes Its DC Movie Debut
Kord Industries is one of DC’s most important fictional companies, along with Wayne Enterprises, Lex Corp, Hold Industries, and Queen Consolidates. Ted Kord was the second Blue Beetle in the current DC Comics timeline, serving as the apprentice to Dan Garrett. Ted Kord does not have superpowers, nor did he use the Scarab during his Blue Beetle days. That said, Ted Kord is quite rich, and the Blue Beetle trailer suggests that Kord Industries was studying the Scarab. Who will play Ted Kord in Blue Beetle or whether the second Blue Beetle will even appear in the film remains to be seen.
7 Blue Beetle Keeps Jaime Reyes’ Comic Book Identity Twist
A unique part of Jaime Reyes’ version of Blue Beetle is that his family knows of his secret identity. Usually, secret identities play a huge part in the stories of DC Comics heroes – Clark Kent with his glasses, Batman using Bruce Wayne as the true mask, etc. However, when it comes to Jaime Reyes, keeping his superhero adventures hidden from his loved ones is not necessary. The Blue Beetle trailer reveals that Jaime’s family will see the exact moment the Scarab merges with him, meaning that Jaime did not even have the chance to keep these powers a secret.
6 Blue Beetle’s Scarab Is Sentient (& It Talks)
Young Justice season 2, also known as Young Justice: Invasion, featured Jaime Reyes as its main character. Young Justice’s Blue Beetle story was the character's first introduction for many, and it also incorporated the Reach as major antagonists. The Blue Beetle trailer suggests that Young Justice’s Blue Beetle will serve as an inspiration for the DC Universe movie, namely the idea that the Scarab is sentient and can talk to Jaime. In Young Justice, both Jaime and the Scarab had the same voice, whereas in Blue Beetle, the Scarab will be voiced by a different, still undisclosed actor.
5 Blue Beetle’s Villain Is Victoria Kord
Ahead of Blue Beetle’s release date, DC Comics launched a new Blue Beetle solo comic book, Blue Beetle: Graduation Day. Though this new Blue Beetle comic takes place in the usual DC Comics timeline, it is displaying concepts and characters from the movie, which often happens whenever a big DC movie is about to premiere. That includes Victoria Kord, Ted Kord’s sister, whose intentions were a mystery in the comic. However, the Blue Beetle trailer all but confirms that Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) will be Blue Beetle’s villain, as she wants to retake the Scarab that has now merged itself with Jaime Reyes.
4 Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle Bug Ship
Another major Blue Beetle trailer Easter egg referencing Ted Kord is the Blue Beetle Bug ship, Ted Kord’s superhero vehicle. The fact that the Blue Beetle bug ship exists confirms that Ted Kord operated as a superhero at some point in the Blue Beetle timeline, although when and for how long remains to be seen. The fact that Blue Beetle’s ship looks a lot like Watchmen’s Owlship is no coincidence, as Nite Owl took inspiration from several DC characters, including Blue Beetle. The Blue Beetle ship, like everything about the second Blue Beetle, was created by Ted Kord and does not come from alien tech.
3 Dan Garrett’s Blue Beetle Costume
Originally known as Dan Garret, the very first Blue Beetle appeared in Fox Comics’ Mystery Men Comics (1939). The first Blue Beetle would be brought into DC Comics’ lore decades later in 1986’s Secret Origins Vol. 2, except that it was based on the Charlton Comics’ version of the character. In the current DC Comics canon, Dan Garrett was the first Blue Beetle, having encountered the Scarab during an expedition. Dan Garrett’s Blue Beetle costume in the Blue Beetle trailer has major lore implications, as it establishes that superheroes have existed for a while in this universe.
2 Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle Costume
Another Blue Beetle costume that appears in the Blue Beetle trailer is Ted Kord’s. Though Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle costume is quite similar to Dan Garrett’s, Ted Kord did not have any superpowers nor ever used the Scarab to grant him special abilities. As such, Ted Kord’s version of Blue Beetle is closer to Batman than it is to Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle powers, making the Blue Beetle trailer’s Batman reference even better. It remains to be seen whether Ted Kord will appear in Blue Beetle, and if so, if the DC movie will show the second Blue Beetle in action.
1 Blue Beetle's Trailer References Batman (But Which One?)
In the Blue Beetle trailer, Jaime mentions how the Ted Kord Blue Beetle gadgets look like something Batman would use, to which Rudy (George Lopez) replies, “Batman’s a fascist.” This exchange confirms that Batman exists in the Blue Beetle universe. The question is, in which universe does Blue Beetle take place? According to James Gunn (via Gunn’s DC Universe slate, then the Batman in question is the yet-to-be-cast one from The Brave and the Bold.
