Posted in: HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: blue beetle

Blue Beetle Animated Series "Still Very Much in Development": Gunn

James Gunn confirmed that an animated series spotlighting Xolo Maridueña's Jamie Reyes/Blue Beetle was "still very much in development."

Back in 2024, reports hit that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios were developing an animated series that would bring Xolo Maridueña's Jamie Reyes/Blue Beetle and others from the 2023 feature film into the New DCU. Miguel Puga (The Casagrandes) was tapped as showrunner and director, with Cristian Martinez (Good Trouble) set as the writer. Since then, things have been pretty quiet on updates and developments. But over the past few weeks, there have been rumblings that Maridueña's Blue Beetle would be appearing in DC Studios co-CEO and writer/director James Gunn's Man of Tomorrow. Now, Gunn is also offering some good news on the animation front, noting that the project was "still very much in development."

Here's a look at Gunn's social media response about the status of the Blue Beetle animated series:

Blue Beetle: Xolo Maridueña on Animated Series, Jamie Reyes/Anime

Checking in with his Lone Lobos podcast co-host (and Cobra Kai co-star) Jacob Bertrand back in June 2024, Maridueña shared some early thoughts about the series – and what he had to share should bring a smile to anime fans. "Wowza, Blue Beetle is back! I'm so excited! To get to do the… I think there is an opportunity on each platform to really make something shine, right? In the movie, you had the opportunity to do the movie stuff. In a TV show, you have the chance to do long-format stuff," Maridueña shared about the move from live-action film to animated series. What's interesting about the news is that it still isn't clear if the series will be a soft, New DCU-friendly "reboot" or a continuation from the film – though we're leaning pretty hard on it being the former.

Also, the creative possibilities that an animated series lends aren't lost on Maridueña, who sees a greater opportunity for Jamie to dig deep into his love for anime when it's fight time. "In an animated show…the f***ing fact this kid likes anime and can make whatever freaking weapon he wants and has this suit that lights up… if they do the suit right in animated, I wonder if it's going to look exactly like the movie suit did or if it's going to, depending on what the art style, if it's going to look a little bit different [or the same] for branding and all that."

Joining Maridueña in the original feature film were George Lopez, Adrianna Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Harvey Guillén, Raoul Trujillo, and Becky G as the voice Khaji-Da (the voice behind Jaime's Blue Beetle suit). In terms of casting, the original reporting noted that "multiple" cast members had been contacted about the project and that DC Studios was receiving "positive" responses regarding who could be returning. In addition, it was reported at the time that the series will "build" on the feature film but "divert from telling the same story" and craft its own narrative – a great way to have the feature film cast have a home in the New DCU: bring them aboard in an animated series, tweak what needs to be tweaked to fit the New DCU, and then go from there. Angel Manuel Soto, Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, and John Ricard are reportedly set as executive producers, and Galen Vaisman is overseeing the animated series for DC Studios.

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