DC's latest film, "Blue Beetle," has officially premiered, introducing this brand-new Mexican-American DC superhero. While Blue Beetle might be a somewhat unfamiliar new character to most audiences, there have actually been three generations of Blue Beetles in the comics. Below, we've compiled the Easter eggs and details from the "Blue Beetle" movie~
1. DC Logo
As "Blue Beetle" is the first work in the new "DC Universe" laid out by new DC President James Gunn, the DC Studios logo at the beginning of the film does not feature animated transitions like "Justice League" or "Green Lantern."
2. The History of Blue Beetle
The film opens with a wealth of imagery introducing us to the history of "Blue Beetle," a title that has also been passed down through generations in this cinematic universe. Through newspaper introductions, we learn that, just like in the comics, the "Blue Beetle" mantle was passed from the first generation, Dan Garrett, to Ted Kord, the founder of Kord Industries. Jaime Reyes, the protagonist of the film, is the third generation.
3. Gotham Law University
Jaime returns home triumphantly from his university graduation ceremony, and from his uniform, it can be seen that he actually attended Gotham Law University.
From the film's promotional posters, you can also see him wearing a medal inscribed with "Gotham Law."
4. Familiar Signage
Kord Industries is one of the largest conglomerates in the DC Universe, and near Kord Industries headquarters, other familiar signs can be seen. For example, ACE Chemicals, where the Joker fell into chemicals, and LexCorp, the group owned by DC's major villain Lex Luthor.
5. Promethium
The film's antagonist, Victoria Kord, CEO of Kord Industries, mentions a project to mine "Promethium" in a company promotional video. This metal is the DC Universe's equivalent of Vibranium or Adamantium; in the comics, the armor of characters like Cyborg and Deathstroke is made from Promethium.
6. Hometown Setting
In the film, Jaime's family lives in "Palmeras City," a fictional Mexican-American city located in Texas, which is precisely situated on the U.S.-Mexico border. In the comics, Jaime's family originally lived in El Paso, Texas; in the film, El Paso is set as the name of their street.
This February, to coincide with the film, "Palmeras City" was also reintroduced into the comic book canon.
7. La Cucaracha
The horn sound of Uncle Rudy's car is surely familiar to everyone. It's the same melody as Luis's van in Marvel's "Ant-Man." However, this melody is actually the very classic Mexican folk song "La Cucaracha," and this particular horn sound is quite common in most Mexican-American areas~~
8. The Reach
When Jaime confides in his father, he mentions his ideals are always "Out of Reach." This phrase might just be a coincidence, but in the comic book lore, the Blue Beetle's superpowers are granted by the "Scarab," a sentient being created by the alien race "the Reach" to conquer worlds across the universe, and it controls its host's mind parasitically.
9. Big Belly Burger
Jenny hides the Blue Beetle in a Big Belly Burger box. This is a fictional burger joint in the DC Universe and a company owned by Lex Luthor. The image on the burger box pays homage to John Byrne, the comic artist who created Big Belly Burger.
Big Belly Burger has become well-known in recent years due to its frequent appearances in the CW Arrowverse series.
10. Superman, Batman, The Flash
When Jenny reveals that her father Ted was once the Blue Beetle, Uncle Rudy surprisingly confesses that he used to be a Blue Beetle fan. He then cites Superman of Metropolis, Batman of Gotham City, and The Flash of Central City as examples, stating that Blue Beetle is Palmeras City's hero. It's worth noting that this film avoids any direct appearances of these heroes, as the official setting of this film within the multiverse has not yet been confirmed~
11. OMAC
Victoria Kord's right-hand man, Conrad Carapax, dons the "OMAC" battlesuit in the latter half of the film to confront Blue Beetle. In the comics, the armored Conrad is actually codenamed "Indestructible Man" and is an adversary of the first Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett; "OMAC," on the other hand, is a heroic ally of the Justice League.
12. Mexican Superhero
Uncle Rudy hacks into the Kord security system, overlaying the surveillance footage with a cartoon. This cartoon features the very famous Mexican superhero "El Chapulín Colorado," who also had a live-action series. This cartoon segment is played in the film's second post-credits scene.
13. The Second Blue Beetle is Alive
The first post-credits scene delivers a surprising twist: the second Blue Beetle, Ted Kord, did not die unexpectedly. He sent a distress signal through the Blue Beetle system from an unknown location. This post-credits scene implies that the second Blue Beetle may officially appear in a sequel. And the sequel will undoubtedly be integrated into Gunn's planned new "DC Universe"~
Additionally, eagle-eyed viewers might notice a package of Oreo cookies in the laboratory during this scene. According to the director, this box of Oreos hints that Ted Kord once worked with the Martian Manhunter, as the Martian Manhunter is famously known in the comics for his love of Oreo cookies.
The Martian Manhunter is essentially a Superman born on Mars and is also a member of the Justice League in the comics. In the post-credits scene of "Zack Snyder's Justice League," the Martian Manhunter also briefly appears, visiting Bruce Wayne after his battle with Darkseid.