DC's Blue Beetle superhero movie gets a director

DC superhero movie Blue Beetle has gained a director.

The project has been in the works for years, but now has taken a step closer to hitting the big screen. According to TheWrap, Angel Manuel Soto, perhaps best known for directing Charm City Kings, will helm the Blue Beetle movie.

TheWrap report that, although the Blue Beetle mantle has belonged to three characters, the film will focus on Jaime Reyes, with the film set to be the DCEU's first with a Latino superhero lead.

"It is an honor to direct Blue Beetle, the first Latino superhero film for DC," Soto told TheWrap. "I want to sincerely thank everyone at Warner Bros. and DC for trusting me to bring Jaime Reyes to life. I can’t wait to make history together."

The film's screenplay will be penned by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, who also wrote Miss Bala starring Gina Rodriguez.

While Blue Beetle has never been seen on the big screen before, Jaime had a sizeable role in the popular animated Young Justice TV series, where he was voiced by Eric Lopez.

Jaime got his powers when he stumbled across the Blue Beetle scarab, which gave the first Blue Beetle his own abilities. Later, the Scarab attached itself to Reyes' spine, which gave him a shapeshifting suit of armor that can morph into wings, weapons like energy cannons and swords, and handy gadgets like grappling hooks and jet engines. The Scarab also has its own consciousness and can use its powers independently, though Jaime can overrule it if he has to.

There's no release date for the Blue Beetle movie yet, but TheWrap say it's set to start production this fall. In the meantime, check out how to watch DC movies in order to get all caught up with the DCEU ahead of the next installment, Zack Snyder's Justice League, which is landing on HBO Max this March 18, 2021. You can also find the best HBO Max prices and deals here.