‘Blue Beetle’ Director Didn’t Want Jaime’s Family to “Need Saving”

The Big Picture

• The women in Jaime Reyes’ extended family are standout characters in Blue Beetle, with Barraza’s machine gun-toting abuela being a big hit with audiences.
• Director Ángel Manuel Soto wanted the family to be the ones to rescue Jaime and push him to realize his potential as a hero, rather than having him save them from danger.
• The film emphasizes the idea of the family saving themselves and Jaime, highlighting the message of working together rather than relying on a superhero to save the day.

Blue Beetle, the latest DC offering, is slightly different from normal fare as it involves a more “street level” threat than we’re used to seeing from the typical apocalyptic action on the big screen, and it’s all the better for it. Part of the reason, a big part, is down to Jaime Reyes’ (Xolo Maridueña) extended family, featuring Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, George Lopez, Elpidia Carrillo, and Belissa Escobedo. The women, in particular, are a standout with Barraza’s machine gun-toting abuela proving a huge hit with crowds.

The strength of the personalities on show in the Reyes clan is a big part of the reason why director Ángel Manuel Soto ultimately decided against having Jaime, and his Blue Beetle suit, rescue them from the threat of Susan Sarandon‘s Victoria Kord at the climax of the film. Soto argued that the message of the film would be stronger if the family were the ones to rescue Jaime and push him to realize what he was and what he would become with the power of the scarab, rather than have him motivated by their mortal peril, which is a story we’ve seen many times before. Speaking to Collider’s Steve Weintraub at our special IMAX screening, the director revealed how the third act came to be, with the family being Jaime’s savior instead.

Ángel Manuel Soto Didn’t Want ‘Blue Beetle’ to Be Like Every Superhero Movie We’ve Already Seen

“There was a time where we wanted to explore an ending where everything is blowing up, and the Bug ship is going out, the Bug ship can’t make it, and Jaime gives the extra push and saves the family,” said Soto. “But we felt like we’ve seen that before, and for me, I really wanted all the females in the story, all the women in Jaime’s life, to have a heroic arc. I wanted Jaime, on his journey, not to feel like, “This is me saving my family from death.”

Soto continued, adding that the family was already a strong unit before Jamie wound up in the Blue Beetle suit, and didn’t need extra help to band together when they were in trouble.

“I really wanted the whole thing to feel like the family is saving Jaime so he can become the hero he’s supposed to become. And yes, Jenny has her moment with Victoria, but with Jaime, we wanted her to be the last hand and the push that pushes in, and the mom goes out. They didn’t need a superhero to save them, they save themselves, and they save the superhero, keeping the whole energy of, “We can save ourselves if we work together,” as opposed to, “We need somebody else to save us.”

You can catch Blue Beetle in theaters now, and while you’re here, check out our full interview with the film’s director Ángel Manuel Soto down below.

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