Blue Beetle, an upcoming DCEU movie, has been moved from streaming to full theatrical release. Warner Bros announced that the action movie won’t be on streaming service HBO Max, instead coming to the big screen in 2023.
Based on the comedic hero of the same name, Blue Beetle is distinct among the studio’s slate by being the first DC feature with a Latino lead. Xolo Maridueña, of Cobra Kai and Parenthood fame, is playing the lead, Jamie Reyes, a teenager who obtains superpowers from a cosmic suit. The picture will open August 18, 2023. Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer and Angel Manuel Soto are writer and director, respectively, for the upcoming thriller movie.
Blue Beetle was part of a number of projects HBO Max-bound. There’s Batgirl, which is filming now, The Suicide Squad TV series spin-off Peacemaker, coming in January. No word on if this means we can potentially see Batgirl on the big screen. This Blue Beetle change is part of Warner Bros announcing its release schedule for the next few years, with the Train to Busan remake dated for April 21, 2023, and a Wizard of Oz animated series due February 2, 2024.
Though Warner Bros has put some emphasis on streaming, with day-and-date HBO Max releases for its entire cinematic slate in 2021, the company seems keen to not put too many eggs in the platform. This is perhaps due to the controversy surrounding the decision to put every movie on Max early, which played a part in Christopher Nolan taking his next film, Oppenheimer, to Universal.
In any case, Blue Beetle is now going theatrical, which is exciting. It joins The Flash, The Batman, Aquaman 2, Black Adam, and Shazam 2 in DC’s ongoing cinematic adventures. Rest assured, these will all still find their way to HBO Max, just after the standard 45-day window in cinemas.