There's still quite a bit unknown about the upcoming Blue Beetle film, which takes place in the DC Extended Universe. Centered around the Jaime Reyes version of the character, the movie will likely combine teen drama with origin-based superheroics. Of course, with the DCEU expanding, there's the question of how this movie's Blue Beetle will relate to other versions.
The sole concept image for the movie has Jaime Reyes armored in the Scarab, with a Kord Industries building seen behind him. That suggests the Silver Age Blue Beetle is somewhere around in the DCEU, but so does a still mysterious casting for the film's villain. Here's how Blue Beetle may introduce its superhero legacy in an unexpected capacity.
Which DC Characters Are in the Blue Beetle Film?
Besides Reyes, there are only a couple of DC Comics characters confirmed to be in the movie. These include Jaime's dad and little sister, who were big parts of his supporting cast in the comics. Recently, the villains for the movie were confirmed to be Victoria Kord and Carapax, the Indestructible Man, who both appear to have connections to Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle.
Created by Len Wein and Paris Cullins, Carapax debuted in Blue Beetle #1, the first issue of Ted Kord's post-Crisis comic book. Finding a laboratory that once belonged to Ted Kord's evil uncle Jarvis, Conrad Carapax discovered a robotic suit of armor. Piloting it himself, he dubbed himself Carapax, the Indestructible Man, and fought the vastly less powerful Ted Kord Blue Beetle. His fighting Jaime Reyes makes a lot more sense, as their suits are pretty similar, but this still leaves the question of who Victoria Kord is. She's a seemingly original character, but her last name certainly can't be a coincidence.
Is Victoria Kord Based on Ted Kord's Uncle?
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=750&dpr=1.5)
Given the presence of Carapax, the most likely explanation for who Victoria Kord is would be that she's simply a gender-bent version of Jarvis Kord. In the comics, Jarvis enlisted the unwitting help of his genius nephew Ted to build robots, though he had nefarious aims for them. As mentioned, some of this technology ended up in Carapax's hands, which furthers the idea that Victoria Kord is just a female Jarvis Kord. However, she could also be related to or married to this universe's Jarvis Kord.
Whoever she is, it's likely Ted Kord will appear through Victoria. She may even be running the Kord Industries seen in the movie's sole image, and once she's defeated, the company will end up with Ted. With the Justice Society of America being introduced into the still expanding DCEU via the upcoming movie Black Adam, there's room for Ted Kord and even Dan Garrett to have acted as Blue Beetle in the past. That could even make one of them similar to Hank Pym's portrayal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Creating an entirely new character is one way to hint at legacy in the DCEU, but it just might be the role that Victoria Kord ultimately serves.
To see who Victoria Kord really is, Blue Beetle is slated to arrive in theaters on Aug. 18, 2023.