‘Blue Beetle’ First Reactions: DC’s Latest Praised as ‘Funny,’ ‘Emotional’ and ‘A Love Letter to the Latino Culture’

The first reactions to DC Studios‘ “Blue Beetle,” starring Xolo Maridueña, are flying in, with early viewers calling the film a “huge surprise.” While some of the reactions quibble with parts feeling shaky or playing things a bit too silly, they mostly praise the film’s action, heart and specific touchstones to Latino culture.

The film, which hits theaters on Aug. 18, follows teenager Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) and his encounter with an alien relic that attaches to his body, bestowing the adolescent with extraordinary powers. Blue Beetle, notably, is one of the most preeminent Latino superheroes in comic book history. The rest of the “Blue Beetle” cast is predominantly Latino, including Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Raoul Max Trujillo, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar and Belissa Escobedo, along with Susan Sarandon.

“Charm City Kings” director Angel Manuel Soto helmed “Blue Beetle” from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. The DC Comics film was originally slated as an HBO Max original, alongside the now-shelved “Batigrl.” Warner Bros. elected to shift to a theatrical release for the feature prior to James Gunn and Peter Safran becoming co-CEOs of DC Studios.

The film represents the penultimate release of the current DC Studios regime, with the upcoming “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” representing the final installment before the comic book universe’s continuity reboots with Gunn’s “Superman: Legacy” in 2025. However, Maridueña and Soto have spoken openly about hopes for the hero’s on-screen future under the new regime.

See the first reactions below.