What is 'Blue Beetle'? 5 things to know about DC's first Latino-led superhero movie

Mark your calendars. On Aug. 18, DC Comics is releasing "Blue Beetle," its latest superhero movie, to theaters across the country.

Xolo Maridueña, of Netflix's "Cobra Kai," stars as Jaime Reyes, the recent college graduate who becomes the titular Blue Beetle, DCs first leading, live-action Latino superhero. Flanked by stars like George Lopez, Susan Sarandon, Becky G and an exciting Puerto Rican director, Ángel Manuel Soto, DC has poised "Blue Beetle" to become its next big hit.

But who is this guy? What is Blue Beetle's origin story? What are his superpowers?

This article answers all your "Blue Beetle" related questions (and then some). Here's everything you need to know about DC's newest blockbuster superhero, the Blue Beetle.

Who is Blue Beetle? A history

Despite his low profile, Blue Beetle has been around for a long time.

Blue Beetle broke into the comic world in 1939 as archeologist Dan Garret, discoverer of a mysterious Egyptian scarab, which granted him even more mysterious powers. In the 1950s, Blue Beetle was revived in the form of gadget-wielding scientist Ted Kord, who could not use the scarab's powers himself but used the beetle as inspiration for his crime-fighting devices. Think Batman, but less rich, less buff ... and beetle, not bat.

In 1983, DC bought the rights to "Blue Beetle," and in 2006, the character was revamped as Jaime Reyes, a Latino student from El Paso who acts as the host of the blue, alien-artificial-intelligence scarab, and has a deep love of family. Reyes' Blue Beetle became a consequential member of DC's beloved Teen Titans comic series.

It is Jaime Reyes that takes center stage in DC's latest superhero movie, "Blue Beetle."

What are the Blue Beetle's powers? And where do they come from?

Jaime Reyes becomes the Blue Beetle when an alien AI beetle chooses him as its human host. The beetle (or scarab, as it is often referred to in the movie) is the agent of an alien force, The Reach, which is trying to take over the galaxy. The particular scarab that chooses Reyes as its host, however, has a slight malfunction, and instead of working for The Reach, chooses to support the goals and preservation of its new host, Reyes. That support comes in the form of superpowers (naturally).

The Blue Beetle's powers include "alien technology, durability, flight, super strength, instant weaponry and combat skill," according to the DC website. In Blue Beetle form, Reyes is protected by an armored exoskeleton that resembles a blue version of Iron Man's suit. The generative powers of the alien-scarab are extensive: "Whatever you can imagine, I can create," the scarab tells Reyes in a similar manner, again, to how Iron Man's AI assistant, Jarvis, communicates with Tony Stark.

Who is Ángel Manuel Soto? The Puerto Rican director behind 'Blue Beetle'

"Blue Beetle" is director Ángel Manuel Soto's first time working with DC. It is also his first superhero movie and his first big-budget movie. He studied architecture and advertising (he did not go to film school). So who is Soto? And how did he come to direct a future blockbuster DC superhero movie?

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1983, Soto has always loved movies. His movie-making career, however, did not start until 2009 when Soto created and directed his first short film, "22 Weeks," with money he saved up renting out his own room and sleeping on the floor for two months. "22 Weeks" went on to win numerous awards, opening the door for the Puerto Rican director to continue his movie-making dream.

Soto earned the attention of DC's creative directors, James Gunn and Peter Safran, in 2020 with his award-winning coming-of-age movie, "Charm City Kings." Gunn and Safran saw in "Charm City Kings" much of the same storytelling strengths they were looking for in "Blue Beetle." It might have helped that Gunn had recently made a successful switch from directing indie movies to "Guardians of the Galaxy" not a decade before. The rest is film history.

Who stars in 'Blue Beetle'?

Xolo Maridueña of Netflix's "Cobra Kai" stars as Jaime Reyes and Blue Beetle. Maridueña is supported by a strong Latino cast, as well as evil-villain-playing Susan Sarandon. Here's a look at the actors playing the film's lead roles.

• Blue Beetle / Jaime Reyes - Xolo Maridueña.

• Jenny Kord - Bruna Marquezine.

• Victoria Kord - Susan Sarandon.

• Uncle Rudy - George Lopez.

• Khaji-Da - Becky G.

• Milagro Reyes - Belissa Escobedo.

• Conrad Carapaz - Rauol Trujillo.

• Dr. Sanchez - Harvey Guillén.

• Alberto Reyes - Damián Alcázar.

• Nana Reyes - Adriana Barraza.

How to watch 'Blue Beetle'

"Blue Beetle" will be released in theaters across America on Friday, Aug. 18. The $120 million-budget superhero movie is rated PG-13 due to action, violence and suggestive language. Given the recent merger of Warner Bros. and HBO, "Blue Beetle" will likely be available for streaming on HBO Max by the end of 2023.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who is Blue Beetle? 5 things to know about DC's newest superhero movie