Blue Beetle, one of the few DC Universe film projects to survive the Warner Bros. content purge, will apparently feature a cameo from an A-list hero... at least if cast member George Lopez was being serious in a recent interview.
In an appearance on The Bryon Scott Podcast, Lopez, who plays Rudy Reyes, the uncle of the titular hero, lauded the film for its imminent unveiling of "the first Latino superhero," wrought by a Latino producer, writer and director. The film will see Cobra Kai breakout actor Xolo Maridueña embody the starring role as the Mexican-American teen-turned superhero Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle, and Lopez explained how the film could potentially yield as many as 10 more appearances, per his own contract. However, he may have taken his comments about the film's prospects a tad too far when he -- in a somewhat nonchalant manner -- dropped some potent news about a secret cameo in the film, stating, "I think Batman is in our movie."
Of course, Lopez's comment should be taken with a massive grain of salt. Besides the abrupt way the news was interjected, he notably qualified his sentence with a bet-hedging "I think." Yet, the idea of a DC hero of Batman's iconic level appearing in the film is something that would be beneficial toward christening Blue Beetle properly for his DCU debut. Moreover, with the massive upheaval made by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery having led to a more streamlined film franchise, notably with Henry Cavill's Black Adam cameo as Superman leading to a full-time return as Superman, the company could look to immediately codify the connectivity of its DC heroes.
The DCU's Bevy of Batmen
However, in the event of the Batman cameo proving to be true, it still leaves a major mystery about which version it will feature. While the most recent big screen iteration, played by star Robert Pattinson in The Batman, exists in another universe, the main universe will soon find itself with two distinct Dark Knights. This will become evident when Michael Keaton puts on the cape and cowl as Batman -- 30 years after his starring run in director Tim Burton's films -- to make a monumental return in the upcoming DCU movie The Flash, which hits next summer. Additionally, Ben Affleck's version from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League is expected to make a return concurrently in the franchise. Moreover, according to one report, Affleck is expected to reestablish himself as the DCU's main Batman in the December 2023-scheduled sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Consequently, the Batman to whom Lopez refers could be either version.
Regardless, auspicious prospects await the film since, according to director Angel Manuel Soto, Blue Beetle has Warner's full support; a comforting thing to have in the aftermath of the company's cancelation of the Batgirl movie and other high-profile projects. "I'm not going to lie. There was concern, anger, fear at first," he said regarding the studio. "They told me not to worry, the film has their full support."
Joining Maridueña and Lopez in the cast are actors such as Damián Alcázar as Alberto, Bruna Marquezine as Penny, Adriana Barraza as Nana, Belissa Escobedo as Milagros Reyes, Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio, Raoul Trujillo as Carapax the Indestructible Man and, most notably, Susan Sarandon as the film's designated villain, Victoria Kord.
Blue Beetle is scheduled to hit theaters on Aug. 18, 2023.
Source: The Bryon Scott Podcast via Twitter