Posted in: Movies, Warner Bros | Tagged: Angel Manuel Soto, blue beetle, dc, film, Warner Bros

Blue Beetle Director on Spotlighting Systemic Societal Issues

Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto is revealing some of the specific instances in history that inspired key themes of the DC movie.

DC's Blue Beetle has been an exciting point of reinvention for the current era of DC, but more importantly, it has offered fans of all ages a leading Latino superhero with an opportunity to create a significant moment in comic book film history. But as it turns out, the film's director not only wanted to make fictional cinematic history, but he also hoped to address some of our own society's darkest qualities head-on.

The Intricate Societal Issues Addressed by the Blue Beetle Film

While speaking to /Film about the importance of cultural significance and leaning into authentic representation, Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto explains, "It was important for me to be able to show this villain who is not just Latino, but indigenous, and show why he is the way he is to a certain point. Because even though he is responsible for much of his actions, the reason why he is a villain is because his trauma was weaponized. And when you see it, you understand he is a victim of the endless perpetuating of violence in Latin America by the CIA through the School of the Americas, but no one talks about that. No one talks about the start of neoliberalism in the School of the Americas in 1973 with the murder of Allende and the placement of Pinochet."

He then continues, "It was important that the film reflected that reality that is not taught at school. It is why [Susan Sarandon's character] represents the Military Industrial Complex and the rampant imperialism that exists in Latin America. She is a person that has been perpetrating trauma and then using that trauma like the School of the Americas, which trained the locals so they'd invade their own people. There is nothing more nefarious than that, so it was important to me to have that exist in this movie, if only for a minute. Using fantasy to raise curiosity could help us be better informed and more emphatic."

Blue Beetle is currently in theaters from DC and Warner Bros.

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