Frankly, DC hasn’t been doing themselves any favors as of late. We already mentioned the mega-flop that was “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” and despite star Zachary Levi’s complaints that nobody’s making quality content anymore, that unloved movie certainly contributed to superhero fatigue. As Marvel moves away from the glory of Phase 3 and the one-two punch of “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Endgame” and DC struggles to keep up, the world has gotten more and more projects that have only produced diminishing returns. Things felt especially dire for DC when “The Flash,” released in the middle of June, became one of Warner Bros.’ biggest box office bombs, so in a way, it feels like “Blue Beetle” was set up to fail.
The truth is that, despite repeatedly strapping on their wax wings and heading in the sun’s direction, DC hasn’t yet reached Marvel’s heights… and “Blue Beetle” is another casualty, which is really a shame. A film that put a spotlight on Latine people and introduced fresh faces into the media landscape is a net positive, so hopefully, more people will discover “Blue Beetle” with time. In the meantime, it’s yet another L for DC.
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. To learn more about why writers and actors are currently on strike, click here for an up-to-date explainer from our Looper team.
