Blue Beetle serves as a triumph in how much heart can be in a film without studio constraints. However, according to director Angel Manuel Soto, Warner Bros. did push for the death of a certain character.
Readers beware! The following article contains spoilers for Blue Beetle. Read on at your own risk!
Blue Beetle featured a number of emotional deaths, but perhaps none more so than the death of Jaime Reyes’ father Alberto, played by Damián Alcázar. The death served as the film’s push into the 3rd act where it truly felt like all was lost for the Reyes family. According to Angel Manuel Soto, this pivotal moment wasn’t originally in the script, but Warner Bros. eventually sold him on the possibility of including an emotional death:
“’How can we create the lowest of lows with the family member? And how that low is not just another death in the superhero genre, but how that low actually ends up being a power for him?” Soto told Collider. “At the end of the day, what is that push that this reluctant hero needs at the end of the day for him to embrace his destiny?’ When we started to understand that, we were like, ‘This could be maybe a good opportunity to explore magic realism in this sequence where Jaime is about to die.’”
Rituals and beliefs regarding death are a key part of any culture. Given Blue Beetle had such a large focus on exploring the world of superheroes through a Latino lens, the death of Damián Alcázar’s Alberto Reyes certainly bolstered both the thematic and emotional elements of the film. While it’s a shame fans won’t be seeing Alberto in a potential sequel, it’s a moment that’s certain to propel Jaime Reyes to new heights at Warner Bros. and DC.
Who is DC’s Blue Beetle?
Blue Beetle is one of DC’s lesser-known heroes, but he has a dedicated fanbase nonetheless. Created in 1939 by Charles Wojtkowski, Blue Beetle has gone through several iterations over the years. The Jaime Reyes version of the character was introduced during the events of 2006’s Infinite Crisis and quickly became a fan-favorite.
In the pages of DC Comics, Jaime Reyes is a teenager from El Paso, Texas. Jaime discovers a scarab beetle-shaped device that bonds with his body, giving him access to an advanced suit of armor and various powers. He becomes the latest in a long line of Blue Beetles and must learn to balance his newfound abilities with his everyday life.
The full cast of Blue Beetle also includes Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Trujillo, Susan Sarandon and Harvey Guillén.
