With the DC cinematic universe now branching out and leaning away from the idea of a strict shared universe, fans are wondering where the franchise might decide to go next. One suggestion, from 13 Reasons Why star Christian Navarro is to finally make the long-rumored Blue Beetle movie, with the actor putting himself forward for the lead role via social media.
“Blue looks good on me.”
Specifically, Christian Navarro is lobbying for the role of Jaime Reyes, the third Blue Beetle, in an upcoming DC project. Created in 2005 by comic book superstars Keith Giffen and Cully Hamner with Hollywood screenwriter John Rogers, the relaunch of the character with Reyes under the blue armour proved to be one of DC’s most successful new launches in decades, with Reyes going on to feature in multiple comic book runs and animated shows, as well as a popular live-action one-off on Smallville.
Navarro continued to discuss the importance of the role and its impact on diversity, even reaching out to Justice League star Ray Fisher, HBO Max, and DC comics.
“Only role I want. LatinX are the largest group of movie goers. We deserve a super hero of our own. Jaime Reyes is that superhero, and there isn’t a soul alive better equipped to bring him to life than me. @[email protected] @DCComics @ray8fisher what do you say, #BORGandtheBEETLE.”
The Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle remains one of DC’s most popular characters, and with an intriguing backstory and visually interesting set of powers, the character would surely be a welcome addition to the live-action DC universe whether that be on the big or small screen.
There have been several rumored Blue Beetle projects over the years, with DC veteran Geoff Johns said to be developing a TV series for the character following his appearance on Smallville. This sadly never materialized, but more recently there have whispers that Warner Bros. now sees Blue Beetle as a feature film character, rather than television, with rumors periodically popping up that the character will soon make his silver screen debut.
Christian Navarro is best known for his role as Tony Padilla on Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why. Beginning with Hannah, a young woman who takes her own life, the series follows her classmate, Clay, who finds a mysterious box on his porch. Inside the box are recordings made by Hannah in which she explains the 13 reasons why she chose to commit suicide. Navarro starred in all three seasons of the show as Tony, the loyal, trustworthy, wise, yet troubled friend and confidante of Clay and Hannah, with the actor’s assured performance proving to be one of the highlights of the series. He has also starred in the likes of Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Vinyl, and the superhero comedy satire series The Tick.
If there are indeed any plans for a Blue Beetle movie, they will likely be announced at the upcoming DC FanDome next month. This comes to us courtesy of Christian Navarro’s official Twitter account.