Trailer Breakdown: ‘Blue Beetle’s’ origin of a new superhero

DC’s next foray onto the big screen arrives with Blue Beetle, set to hit theaters on August 18. In addition to the film adapting one of the newer superheroes to grace the pages of DC comics, Blue Beetle will officially be the first character of the new DC Universe, according to James Gunn, who is set to direct Superman Legacy.

With the final trailer being released, we get a better look at the film’s tandem of villains; some added context on the Scarab that gives him his powers, and more exciting action sequences. Here is the breakdown for the final trailer of Blue Beetle.

An unexpected host

The trailer starts with a familiar truism of any superhero film, with Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) trying to use the flying ability that the Scarab bestowed on him. His brief struggle connecting with the Scarab transitions perfectly into the next few shots of the trailer, where we’re shown exactly how Jaime was granted his powers.

Despite going in for an interview at Kord Industries, Jaime is mistakenly given a box that contains a Scarab, which subsequently chooses him as its host.

The voice of Scarab in the trailer mimics that of Iron Man’s J.A.R.V.I.S., though in DC Comics, the Scarab is more like a second consciousness within its host. After we see a family scene in which Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine) tries to explain the blue Scarab, things escalate quickly as it becomes clear Jaime was chosen as its host unbeknownst to him, thus turning him into the Blue Beetle.

Enter the villains

After some repeat action shots from the film’s initial teaser trailer, we are introduced to the foes of the film: Conrad Carapax (Raoul Max Trujillo) and his employer, Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon). Conrad was first introduced in DC Comics in the first issue of Blue Beetle (1986). Much like Blue Beetle’s, Conrad's ability is within the mechanized suit that grants him powers and abilities.

In the comics, Carapax transforms himself into the robot we see in more detail as the trailer progresses, proving him to be a worthwhile match as he goes head-to-head with Blue Beetle.

While Carapax is the muscle, Ford represents the brains behind the operation as she runs Kord Industries, from which Jaime got the Scarab. She aptly utters, “The Scarab has chosen you, but it belongs to me.”

Family is what makes him strong

After an introduction to the villains, we get some excellent action sequences between Carapax and Blue Beetle that ultimately leads to Kord Industries attacking Jaime’s home and his family. Though we see his family being held captive in a few shots, they won’t be watching from the sidelines for the entirety of the film.

In one of the trailer’s final shots, we see Jaime’s Nana (Adriana Barraza) grabbing and using a futuristic mini gun, backing up Jaime’s claim that his family is what makes him strong at heart.