The upcoming Blue Beetle movie is the latest DC superhero film to hit theaters, though it's coming out against all odds. The contentious aura surrounding the brand, not to mention the lack of promotion due to the ongoing Hollywood strikes has left the movie coming off as a bit of a lame duck. Thankfully, a few important people in the world of DC movies are throwing their support behind it, and it says a lot.
Obviously, current DC Studios head James Gunn has spoken positively about Blue Beetle. Conversely, both former DC director Zack Snyder and David Ayer are just as excited to see it. This is despite their past troubles with Warner Bros. Discovery, and given the fractured state of the DC movie fanbase, it could offer a wholesome swan song to the DC Extended Universe. It also comes off as more natural than the praise and hype given to another DC superhero movie.
James Gunn, Zack Snyder and David Ayer are All Hyped for Blue Beetle
James Gunn has not only seen Blue Beetle, but he also seemed to highly enjoy the movie. It's likely for this reason that there are talks to include its version of Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle in future projects set in the rebooted DC Universe. Of course, this could be seen as merely "corporate" talk and praise, with Gunn wanting to stand behind the product so that it performs well at the box office. That's definitely needed given the movie's currently low box office predictions, especially amid recent failures. Shazam! Fury of the Gods was seen as a critical and commercial disappointment, especially compared to the first movie. Meanwhile, The Flash got much better reviews, but its larger budget saw it becoming a notable box office bomb.
Considering the similar lack of success in 2022's Black Adam, the DC brand is largely seen as being at an all-time low. There's generally an air of excitement surrounding Superman: Legacy and the upcoming DC Universe reboot, but this has the last vestiges of the DC Extended Universe being less than enticing to both hardcore fans and casual moviegoers. Thankfully, Gunn isn't the only one looking forward to Blue Beetle, with Zack Snyder (the progenitor of the DCEU) planning to see it with his kids. Likewise, Suicide Squad director David Ayer has seemingly confirmed similar ambitions, with three of DC's biggest filmmakers all excited for what Warner Bros. Discovery is coming out with next. Given what happened with two of these directors, it's actually rather unexpected.
Two Directors That Are Excited for Blue Beetle Didn't Have the Best Time at WB
For better or worse, the DC Extended Universe (also referred to as the "Snyderverse") is now being pushed aside and rebooted for a more traditional take on DC's heroes. Many DCEU entries were fairly controversial, namely for how Superman, Batman and other classic characters were handled. Regardless of how fans may feel about Snyder's handling of DC movies, it's well known that certain movies had a heavy hand from the studio. Likewise, by the time of the heavily altered Justice League's production, personal tragedy saw Zack Snyder departing from the movie. Beyond finishing his version of the movie (released on HBO Max as Zack Snyder's Justice League), his vision for the DC Extended Universe has largely been abandoned for the majority of the shared universe's existence.
Similarly, David Ayer's original plans for the first Suicide Squad movie weren't exactly translated to the big screen. Thus, both fans and the director himself have asked for the so-called "Ayer Cut" to be released in the same vein as Zack Snyder's Justice League. This has given an air of apocrypha to how the first four movies in the DCEU could have been, not to mention disappointment from the men who directed them. Despite what was sure to be a frustrating time at Warner Bros. in the DCEU's early days, both directors are now ready to see Blue Beetle without an ounce of anger or cynicism. With how fractured the DCEU's fanbase was (with those who preferred Snyder's movies disliking some of the later, more lighthearted superhero fare such as Shazam! and its sequel), the rallying together to support the share universe's penultimate movie is a testament to the wholesomeness of fandom and its power to connect people. It's also why this hype for the new movie is so much different from the praise campaign that preceded the release of the most recent DCEU flick.
Blue Beetle's Fan Support and Hype Feels More Natural Than Other DC Films
As mentioned, the current strikes in Hollywood make it to where the acting talent behind Blue Beetle can't even promote the movie. Thus, fans have taken it upon themselves as part of the #bluebeetlebattalion social media movement to market it. There's also all the positivity from the likes of Gunn, Snyder and Ayer, and it feels like an organic, truly heartfelt sense of support for the DC film. It's the opposite of what was done with The Flash, wherein people such as Tom Cruise, James Gunn and Warner Bros. Discovery studio David Zaslav were praising the movie as the best superhero movie ever made. This didn't increase the hype so much as the scrutiny for the movie, making audiences more skeptical of its quality than excited. Plus, the blitz in marketing furthered its budget, increasing the difficult task of The Flash making money at the box office.
That movie was at least well-received to some extent, but the similar hype of the long-awaited Black Adam was sullied by the movie's much more tepid reception. Given that the excitement for the movie was mostly fueled by star Dwayne Johnson himself, it was also a different situation than what's going on with Blue Beetle. Hopefully, the fan support and excitement for the Jaime Reyes origin story will be enough to propel it some sort of success at the box office. Even though DC's slate is about to be wiped clean anyway, a hit movie that connects with both fans and general audiences would definitely be a good segway into the new DC Universe. If nothing else, it's certain that David Ayer and Zack Snyder will be there opening night.
Blue Beetle releases in theaters on Aug. 18, 2023.