Blue Beetle has been one of the most interesting DCU projects. With the 2023 film released before the franchise reset, many fans thought it’d no longer be considered canon material. However, in 2024, some time after the DCU began, James Gunn and Warner Bros. confirmed that Blue Beetle would return in an animated TV show set to air in the future. But after years of silence regarding that project, Blue Beetle fans were disappointed when rumors began to emerge that the Blue Beetle animated show was being quietly stalled at HBO Max, and many industry reports began to label the series as “dead in the water.”
Thankfully, today DC Studios co-president and consistent social media poster James Gunn confirmed that the Blue Beetle animated series was still in heavy development. On Threads, a fan asked James Gunn if there was any Blue Beetle show news. In response, James Gunn said the show was “still very much in development,” immediately putting to rest the rumor-mongering that HBO Max had shelved the series. Considering the news that Blue Beetle will also be appearing in Man of Tomorrow, it looks like the hero is here to stay in the DCU.
This is a huge win for many Blue Beetle fans, as while the movie itself wasn’t financially successful, it has garnered a large online fanbase that was extremely excited to hear that Xolo’s Blue Beetle would be making an appearance in the upcoming Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow. His role in the film is still under wraps, but many predict he’ll be joining the DCU’s Justice Gang in their fight against the film’s main antagonist.
The animated Blue Beetle show was announced on June 14, 2024, with Miguel Puga (The Casagrandes, The Loud House) set to serve as showrunner, with screenwriter Cristian Martinez (Ironheart) also attached.
Plot details for the Blue Beetle show haven’t been discussed, but it will almost certainly take place after the 2023 film. At the end of the movie, Jaime Reyes defeated the villain Carapax and began a romantic relationship with Jenny Kord, the new CEO of Kord Industries. Since the movie also teased the eventual return of Ted Kord, the first Blue Beetle, in its mid-credits scene, the show could be how the DCU introduces Ted Kord and his supporting cast into the world while further developing Jaime’s time as a superhero. Man of Tomorrow will reintroduce audiences to Jaime Reyes’s place in the new DCU world, setting the stage for his animated series.
Whatever comes of the Blue Beetle animated show, it is likely going to be a stellar time for fans of Blue Beetle. Hopefully, these fans can expect to see a trailer next year. DCU fans can expect more of their favorite universe in the upcoming Lanterns TV series, releasing on August 16.
