Following the dominance of superhero movies in the 2010s, a post-pandemic world would somewhat turn its back on the genre, as even the biggest releases such as this year’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps failed to find box office success. Several factors are behind this decline in the popularity of superheroes, with it no surprise that a series so bitingly critical of their celebrity, such as The Boys, should find a worldwide audience. However, the genre hasn’t helped itself by releasing several globally panned installments that have caused some to lose faith in superhero movies.
Because of this, with the film being released in the same year as the disastrous Black Adam and The Flash, 2023’s Blue Beetle went cruelly under the radar and earned nowhere near the attention it deserved, becoming one of the most underrated superhero movies of this century in the process. Thankfully, next month, Netflix is offering its subscribers the chance to change that, as Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) is one of several exciting new arrivals on the streamer. Scheduled to arrive on November 17, the film joins another DC entry, the Jason Momoa-led Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, in adding to Netflix’s superhero catalog. For those yet to catch Blue Beetle, of which there are sadly many, here’s a look at the movie’s synopsis:
“Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.”
‘Blue Beetle’ Is a Great Superhero Origin Story
Just barely returning its reported $120 million production budget at the global box office, Blue Beetle is one of the most high-profile financial flops from the superhero genre this decade. However, it is also one of the most celebrated from within the fandom, with the film boasting a huge 90% approval rating from audiences on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The audience consensus on the site reads, “Funny with lots of action and an appealing cast, Blue Beetle is an entertaining superhero origin story with a few fresh twists.” One of the best superhero origin stories of recent times, you won’t want to miss this exciting November Netflix arrival.
Blue Beetle heads to Netflix next month.
Release Date
August 18, 2023
Runtime
128 minutes
Director
Ángel Manuel Soto
Writers
Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer
Producers
John Rickard, Zev Foreman