Blue Beetle Director Addresses Movie's Place in DCU Timeline

James Gunn and Peter Safran are hard at work developing the DC Universe, Warner Bros.' attempt to take on Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though the first chunk of the DCU's programming has been unveiled, the larger story remains yet to be seen and for that matter, the timeline is still in flux until things officially kick off with Gunn's Superman: Legacy. That said, the filmmaker has said Blue Beetle is a part of the franchise, even though it's being released between two features that won't be in the larger franchise in The Flash and Aquaman 2.

As Blue Beetle helmer Angel Manual Soto tells us, he believes Gunn and Safran chose to include Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena) in the franchise because the film can be placed anywhere on the DCU timeline.

"I think that's the beauty of it, right? I think it's pretty vague. We know Batman exists. We know Flash exists. We know Superman exists, but we don't say how, where or what," Soto says. "I think it opens up the doors to any interpretation or any direction James Gunn wants to go and because it is setting Jaime up, what happens now moving forward is game. I think that's why they decided Jaime can be the first superhero of the new DCU because he is his own hero."

Will there be a Blue Beetle sequel?

Soto adds that Blue Beetle is very much just the first part of an extended story, one he hopes gets to take place in the DCU over the course of the coming years.

"That's what I like about him, this is just the first act of a saga," he continues. "Jaime's story is just starting and this ends with him stepping into the new world, so whatever the higher-ups want to do with Jaime's journey is open."

From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Blue Beetle, which arrives in theaters on August 18th, marking the DC superhero's first time on the big screen. The film, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, stars Xolo Maridueña in the title role as well as his alter ego, Jaime Reyes. Recent college grad Jaime Reyes 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 armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.

Starring alongside Maridueña are Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez (the "Rio and "Smurf" franchises). The film also stars Belissa Escobedo and Harvey Guillén. Soto directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.