The Latino family, the true heroes of “Blue Beetle,” hit theaters Aug. 17

Bringing attention to the Latino family association in times of crisis is the goal of Blue beetleDC Comics’ first superhero movie directed by a Puerto Rican, Angel Manuel Soto.

Blue beetle will be released in Latin America (including Ecuador) on Thursday, August 17.and afterwards marks the return of a feature film by Soto to the screen Charm city kings (2020).

The movie tells the story of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña, already known from Cobra Kaifrom Netflix), who, after graduating from university, He faces an economic conflict due to the closure of his father’s business, an anecdote almost similar to the one Soto experienced during pre-production when his father fell ill, according to what he related EFE.

The family, the power of the film

Among these experiences were those of Soto and the writer of Blue BeetleGareth Dunnet-Alcocer, managed to connect to create the script for the film and exhibit alongside it some of the difficulties and experiences of Hispanic families.

As expected in the trailer, It’s that unconditional family presence that sets DC’s new hero apart from others on the big screen. In whose plot his main support is usually his friends. Blue Beetle is not an orphan like Batman or Iron Man.

According to Soto, other superheroes “keep their family’s secret and always seem lonely”. “Our family is interested in everything … and we wanted that to be the strength of the film,” said the 40-year-old director, the only one to promote the film recently because of the Hollywood actors and writers’ strike. “Each family member is a pillar in your life and part of that foundation of who you are,” he added.

“We wanted this superhero to have those elements, true each of his relatives has a heroic arc, not just in the film’s story; has both emotional and philosophical importance building this superhero we so desperately need.”

How does the main character get his powers?

(Without spoilers) The crucial moment of Blue Beetle occurs when Reyes (Maridueña) Looking for work to help his family, he applies for a job at Victoria Kord’s company (Susan Sarandon) And on her first day at work, Victoria steals a small box from a company office containing a piece in the shape of a beetle he secretly delivers it to Reyes and asks him not to open it.

But when he comes home, surrounded by his family, he opens the box and starts playing with the blue beetle that turns him into the superhero.

This new version of Blue Beetle is the first film “with a fairly substantial budget” and is considered one blockbusters (success at the box office) for Soto. “I never dreamed of this, on the contrary. My plan was to continue telling stories and making movies, but I never thought it was possible in my life to make such a big movie.” admitted the also director of the Puerto Rican film The farm.

“I’m still thinking about it and it’s hard for me to reconcile that idea because I don’t know if it’s a self sabotage (self-sabotage) assuming that ‘I’m not going to do it’; but given the chance it might have been one wake-up service (wake up) to dream a little bigger.”

Soto’s chance to direct Blue Beetle arose after the presentation Charm city kings at the 2020 Sundance Festival, when one of the DC Studios executives contacted him after seeing the film to offer him his now new project.

As he confessed, at first he refused to accept the offer because he was not interested in directing a movie about a famous superhero, but he was convinced to accept when he learned about the project in detail.