Blue Beetle managed to disrupt Barbie‘s four-week dominance at the domestic box office, but its ascendancy was marked by a notably quiet debut of $25.4 million.
The story behind Blue Beetle is as intriguing off-screen as it is on. Originally conceived as an HBO Max exclusive, the film’s budget was capped at a modest $104 million, considerably less than other tentpole superhero flicks. This leaner budget might offer some cushion against its initial lukewarm box office reception, but it doesn’t entirely mitigate the sense of a disappointing launch for a film set within the DC Universe.
Moreover, the movie’s release during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike posed unforeseen challenges. Given the circumstances, the stars of Blue Beetle found themselves unable to participate in the usual promotional activities, undoubtedly impacting the opening performance.
Internationally, Blue Beetle accumulated an additional $18 million across 63 markets. When combined with its domestic earnings, the global total amounts to $43 million. By comparison, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie brought home $21.5 million for a domestic total of $567 million.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has confirmed that Xolo Maridueña’s Jaime Reyes and a handful of other characters from Blue Beetle will continue within the canon of the DCU. Although this film was made under the previous regime, Gunn’s confirmation regarding the future of these characters bodes well for future stories. After all, a Booster Gold series was announced as part of DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, and given that character’s ties to both Ted Kord and Jaime Reyes, it looks possible that we will see those three interact together sometime in the future.
Who is DC’s Blue Beetle?
Blue Beetle is one of DC’s lesser-known heroes, but he has a dedicated fanbase nonetheless. Created in 1939 by Charles Wojtkowski, Blue Beetle has gone through several iterations over the years. The Jaime Reyes version of the character was introduced during the events of 2006’s Infinite Crisis and quickly became a fan-favorite.
In the pages of DC Comics, Jaime Reyes is a teenager from El Paso, Texas. Jaime discovers a scarab beetle-shaped device that bonds with his body, giving him access to an advanced suit of armor and various powers. He becomes the latest in a long line of Blue Beetles and must learn to balance his newfound abilities with his everyday life.
The full cast of Blue Beetle also includes Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Trujillo, Susan Sarandon and Harvey Guillén.
