With parts of non-DCU projects counted as canon, the line between the old DC architecture and the dawn of Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters has always been blurry. And now, another pre-DC Studios character has been retconned into the fledgling DCU.
According to trade reports, Xolo Maridueña is officially locked in to reprise his role as Jaime Reyes, aka Blue Beetle, in James Gunn’s highly anticipated Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
The move delivers on Gunn’s long-standing promise that while Superman serves as the first full theatrical feature film of the DCU, Blue Beetle stands tall as the universe’s first canon character.
Maridueña’s survival stands out as one of the most unique anomalies in modern superhero cinema. When Ángel Manuel Soto’s Blue Beetle landed in theaters in August 2023 under the previous Warner Bros. executive regime, the film was caught directly in the structural crossfire of the DCEU’s winding-down phase, ultimately stalling at a modest $130.8 million globally.
Because the 2023 solo movie was strategically insulated away from Zack Snyder’s Justice League continuity and broader studio crossover storylines, Gunn and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran recognized they could comfortably lift Maridueña out of the old slate without confusing audiences. Safran explicitly pointed to Maridueña’s dynamic ability to balance high-stakes comedy with heavy dramatic and emotional range as the ultimate reason he remained a foundational anchor for their long-term plans.
While Maridueña is back in the role, Gunn has previously teased that the studio may quietly retcon select background details from the 2023 film to ensure the alien Scarab, Khaji-Da, seamlessly aligns with the broader intergalactic lore of the new DCU continuity.
Source: Variety
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