Unveiling the Intriguing Batman Villain Movie That Landed the Blue Beetle Director the Coveted Job

Highlights

Warner Bros. decided to go with a Latino DC superhero movie (Blue Beetle) instead of a Latino supervillain origin film, indicating their aim to take DC in a lighter direction.

The upcoming Blue Beetle film is seen as a vestige of the previous administration at WB prior to the Discovery merger, and is likely to face financial disappointment for the company. Director Angel Manuel Soto initially proposed a film centered around Bane's origins, but WB suggested Blue Beetle instead, possibly as a means to distance themselves from the Snyderverse. WB's unwillingness to fully embrace darker and dramatic aspects in their DC adaptations may have had a negative impact on the brand.

After the huge success of Joker, it comes as no surprise that Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Soto initially had the desire to helm a DC supervillain origin film featuring a classic Batman enemy, particularly a Latino character. However, Warner Bros. had their own plans, resulting in the decision to go with the first Latino DC superhero instead.

Blue Beetle, similar to Shazam!: Fury of the Gods and The Flash, represents remnants of the previous leadership at WB prior to the Discovery merger that saw Walter Hamada step down and David Zaslav take over as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO. James Gunn's announcement of his DCU reboot may have played a role in the underperformance of these movies at the box office, with Blue Beetle also predicted to follow suit as another financial disappointment for WBD. In light of this news, Soto reflects on what could have been.

Blue Beetle potentially overshadowed the possibility of a Bane origin movie, which filmmaker Soto had suggested following a call from WB about directing a DC film while the studio was shifting the direction of the DCEU away from the Snyderverse. As reported by Den of Geeks, WB countered Soto's proposal for a Bane film by suggesting Blue Beetle, a Latino superhero that the studio had been actively developing for several years. Similarly, director Todd Phillips conveyed his belief that Hamada failed to grasp the vision behind Joker, but unlike with Bane, the decision to limit the film's budget to only $60 million allowed it to progress in its development.

It is believed that Hamada played a pivotal role in the development of Blue Beetle, suggesting that he made the decision to shift Soto's focus from Bane to Blue Beetle. The nature of the potential Bane movie remains unclear, but it is assumed that it would have been part of the DCEU or a standalone DC film similar to Joker with an R rating. Unlike previous portrayals of Bane in Batman and Robin and The Dark Knight Rises, the accurate representation of the character's Latino origins can be seen in the Batman: Arkham Origins video game.

In a similar vein, the Snyderverse and Elseworld DC embody the grandiose and dramatic aspects of the DC universe, often described as "dark." The Snyderverse, consisting of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Zack Snyder's Justice League, tells a cohesive story with spinoff films, while Elseworld DC offers self-contained narratives, as seen in Joker and The Batman. In contrast, the direction under Hamada's leadership lacked a clear vision, resulting in a soft reboot.

Some argue that WB's reluctance to fully embrace DC has harmed the brand, especially in terms of on-screen adaptations. Others believe the damage was caused by a delay in taking a different direction. Now, Gunn is rebooting once again, but this time, WBD aims to bring his successful signature style from Marvel to DC, without repeating the controversial attempt by Joss Whedon and Justice League. Based on what has been revealed about the DCU so far, there might not be space for a Bane origin film; however, this doesn't mean the character cannot still appear. Blue Beetle is scheduled to premiere on August 18th, 2023.

Source: Den of Geeks