Warner Bros. is likely yearning for a Lasso of Truth to crack Marvel's long-standing box office code. Recent years have been a rollercoaster of lukewarm reviews and weak ticket sales for DC movies. Despite big names like Michael Keaton in The Flash Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam and buzzworthy sequels like Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the studio hasn't escaped its slump. These films flopped instead of flew, leaving the future of the upcoming DC movies slate in the hands of its new architects, James Gunn and Peter Safran. And in an interview, Blue Beetle's Xolo Maridueña opens up about feeling the heat and taking a bit of a shot at WB in the process.
Blue Beetle hit theaters this week, and fans are buzzing about whether it'll be the game-changer DC needs. Cobra Kai's breakout star knows full well the stakes he's up against. In a (pre-actors strike) interview with Vanity Fair, he opened up about the movie's release and addressed the big question: Is he sweating over the film becoming a hit? And he didn't miss the chance to make a cheeky comment about the studio behind it all, saying:
I’m sure for Warner Bros., there’s pressure. That sounded a little snarky.
The Parenthood alum shook his head, almost as if scolding himself, before getting back on track. Not stopping at surface-level chatter, he delved deeper into the intense world of superhero cinema, adding:
Yes, of course, I want this to be the biggest movie of all time. And I truly feel like it is a worldwide movie. I think it should be a box office smash, but at the same time, there’s box office smashes that aren’t the best [movies], and vice versa. I don’t want to be a prisoner to the numbers.
No single movie or star should have the sort of pressure that the cast of Blue Beetle is probably feeling this weekend. Serving as the first DC movie to feature a Latino lead and an almost entirely Latino cast, there’s not only box office pressure but also cultural and representational stakes at play. The character of Jaime Reyes is a teenager of Mexican descent who gains superpowers from an alien scarab. Given that the movie is navigating uncharted territory for the DCU, both in terms of representation and narrative, Xolo Maridueña’s comments about not being “a prisoner to the numbers” can also be seen as a call for artistic integrity over financial metrics.
Most critics, including CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg, have been mixed on DC’s latest hero. Eisenberg rated it 2.5 out of 5 stars, lauding the lead actor's star power but critiquing the film’s lack of originality and maturity. According to Deadline, the film’s box office haul is already below expectations, and it might even lose out to the billion-dollar juggernaut Barbie, which is now in its fifth week.
Critics are divided on DC’s latest flick, but don’t let that stop you comic book fans from heading to the theaters and forming your own opinions. Even if this latest cinematic outing turns out to be another Warner Bros. financial dud like The Flash, Xolo Maridueña appears committed to the evolving universe—making his character more crucial to the franchise’s future than we first thought.
Blue Beetle is now screening near you and, for more information on upcoming cinematic gems, check out our schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
