Blue Beetle is shaping up to be one of the longest entries in the DC Extended Universe yet.
Big Screen Leaks (BSL) shared the news on Twitter, claiming that the current cut of Blue Beetle sits around 2 hours and 45 minutes. The insider also mentions that the film's massive runtime is subject to change as it is still in post-production. As it stands, Blue Beetle's length is second only to Zack Snyder's Justice League, which clocked in at 4 hours and 2 minutes, and the longest of any DCEU project released in theaters.
Blue Beetle's super-sized length may be surprising to some fans, considering Warner Bros., which had not yet merged with Discovery, originally conceived the film as a straight-to-streaming feature for HBO Max in 2018. The studio gave the project a theatrical release in December 2021 before the cameras even started rolling. Principal photography began in May 2022 and lasted nearly two months, finishing in July.
Following several canceled projects at HBO Max, including Batgirl, many wondered if Blue Beetle would soon follow suit. However, just days after Batgirl's termination, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed Blue Beetle was still moving forward and aiming for a theatrical release. Director Angel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) recently said the film has the studio's "full support."
Produced by John Rickard (Peacemaker) and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (Miss Bala), Blue Beetle stars Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, a high school student who becomes the titular superhero after discovering an alien artifact. The Cobra Kai star is joined by Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Raoul Trujillo, and several others. Susan Sarandon plays Victoria Kord, the film's central antagonist, having taken over the role from Sharon Stone in April 2022.
Little is known about Victoria Kord, who was created solely for the Blue Beetle film, though the character shares the same last name as Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle and owner of the research and development company Kord Industries in the DC universe. Sarandon recently revealed that Victoria represents "the white military-industrial complex," suggesting she will be a weapons contractor with ties to Kord Industries.
Blue Beetle is not only the first Latino-led superhero film for Warner Bros. Discovery and the DCEU but also for the film industry as a whole. The cast is comprised almost exclusively of Latin performers and will feature subtitles during scenes spoken in Spanish. In September, Maridueña said he is hopeful the film will advance representation and increase opportunities for Latino actors to play authentic big screen heroes.
Blue Beetle hits theaters on Aug. 18, 2023.
Source: Twitter