A new report detailing events in the upcoming Blue Beetle movie teased similarities between the new DC Universe hero and Marvel's Spider-Man.
Becoming the third of four new DC movies to hit the big screen in 2023 for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), Blue Beetle will introduce a hero that's never gotten his own theatrical spotlight before in Jaime Reyes. Featuring an all-star cast of actors like comedy icon George Lopez and Susan Sarandon, Xolo Maridueña will embody Reyes as the young teenager embraces his new superpowers.
In the comics, Reyes gains those powers after interacting with a sacred scarab, which he finds in a vacant parking lot before the scarab fuses with him as he sleeps.
Now, not only is that story seemingly being adapted for the character's live-action adaptation, but it also evokes memories of one of the biggest names in the comic-book movie sphere from Marvel as well.
Blue Beetle Bringing Spider-Man Vibes
The latest issue of Total Film magazine shared new plot details from Warner Bros. Discovery's upcoming DC Universe movie Blue Beetle, which is set to come to theaters in Summer 2023.
The article notes that Jaime Reyes "finds an alien beetle" as he comes back home from school, which binds itself to his body and unlocks an incredible alien suit of armor:
"Jaime finds an alien beetle on his way back from school, with the critter binding itself to his spine to furnish him with a suit of extra-terrestrial armour."
This backstory is similar to one that fans have seen in the Marvel universe with Spider-Man. The web-slinger famously gets his own powers by similarly being affected by a bug-like creature, that being the classic radioactive spider.
DC does do this slightly differently, as Peter Parker and the other Spider-Men don't have the spider attached to them when they get their powers as Blue Beetle does. However, Jaime's origin does resemble another iconic moment from Peter Parker's history.
Spidey is known for donning the symbiote suit in many forms of media, first appearing in the Secret Wars storyline in the comics.
The alien's origin with its end-user is incredibly similar to Jaime Reyes' Scarab, with both being extra-terrestrial, sentient beings that attach themselves to their wearers.
This also mimics tendencies seen in another Spider-Man character, Venom. That antihero's story begins when an alien symbiote fuses with Eddie Brock, taking over his body and imbuing him with powers.
This similarity is further echoed in the movie's recently released synopsis, which notes that the scarab "chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host."
"Recent college grad Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armour capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero Blue Beetle."
Blue Beetle's Inspiration from Comic Book Lore
While Jaime Reyes' story doesn't copy everything from the Spider-Man legacy (uncle/family member's death, great power/great responsibility, etc.), these ties can't be ignored as the hero makes his big screen debut.
And particularly with the new DC character being a college graduate, it ties back to Peter Parker even further as Tom Holland's MCU hero looks to take on his own college journey once Spider-Man 4 comes to fruition.
This story for Blue Beetle also adds the symbiotic side with the scarab attaching itself to Jaime Reyes, although it's unclear whether this artifact will take on its own personality the way Venom does. At the very least, it will bring together unique aspects from multiple heroes under Marvel's umbrella while adding a couple of unique elements that will make this new hero stand on his own for DC.
Blue Beetle will debut in theaters on August 18, 2023.
