DC's ‘Blue Beetle’ movie officially receives a 2023 theatrical release date, confirming it will no longer release on HBO Max. In the aftermath of ‘Justice League’ and figuring out what the DC Extended Universe's future should look like, Warner Bros. and DC Films began developing a solo film for Jaime Reyes, a.k.a. ‘Blue Beetle’. An alien device known as a scarab, which gives Jaime a supersuit equipped with various abilities, powers the young Latino superhero.
Several years after Blue Beetle was announced to be in development, it was revealed that Charm City Kings' Angel Manuel Soto will direct the movie. It will mark Jaime Reyes' live-action debut and presumably tell his origin based on a script by Gareth Dunnet Alcocer. Early reports suggested that the movie, which stars Cobra Kai's Xolo Maridueña as the titular hero, would release exclusively on HBO Max. This would make ‘Blue Beetle’ part of the DCEU's initiative to make content strictly for WB's streaming service.
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Now that ‘Blue Beetle’ is gearing up to begin filming, a change in its release model and an official release date have been announced. Warner Bros. and DC Films revealed today that the movie is now a theatrical project. A ‘Blue Beetle’ release date has been set now for August 18, 2023. It is currently the only movie scheduled to release on this day in 2023.
Now that Blue Beetle's release date is officially set for 2023, it becomes the second DCEU movie slated for release that year. WB and DC have five live-action DCEU movies confirmed for theatrical release dates before ‘Blue Beetle’. 2022 is loaded thanks to Covid-19 delays, as ‘The Batman’, ‘Black Adam’, ‘The Flash’, and ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ are confirmed for releases next year. Shazam: Fury of the Gods is the only other 2023 DCEU movie besides ‘Blue Beetle’ at this moment, but this announcement could indicate that other 2023 titles could be dated soon.
As exciting as it is for Blue Beetle's release date to be confirmed, the decision to make it a theatrical exclusive release is a big deal.
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