Blue Beetle: Director Angel Manuel Soto talks sequels and superhero fatigue

Blue Beetle may not have reached cinemas just yet, but director Angel Manuel Soto has already spoken about wanting to turn his superhero adventure into an ongoing series. Blue Beetle reaches UK cinemas and IMAX on 18 August.

Video transcript

JACK SHEPHERD: --DC Universe. This is part one of a story and you want to make a three-part story. You've spoken about that. I mean, have those discussions actually happened or is this kind of just hope for at the moment, see how this does?

ANGEL MANUEL SOTO: Yeah, a lot of it-- you know, the ways the machine works, the movie needs to make money for them to--

JACK SHEPHERD: Yeah. [CHUCKLING]

ANGEL MANUEL SOTO: --put more money. But for us, we've always seen it that way. We love the story so much. We believe in the product so much. We believe in that actor so much that we couldn't help but think about where his journey is going to go while we were creating this film.

So is it wish fulfillment? Are we calling it out to the universe? Sure. But I don't think I will be here talking with you if I didn't think that way.

JACK SHEPHERD: You've mentioned the family in this movie a few times. And they kind of make it feel really fresh. I mean, one criticism that I guess this genre gets is about superhero fatigue and things like that. How do you counter that and make sure it does still feel new and exciting?

ANGEL MANUEL SOTO: I mean, the fatigue conversation-- I love movies. I don't get fatigue from movies. Like--

JACK SHEPHERD: Yeah, yeah.

ANGEL MANUEL SOTO: --I like to be entertained. I like to be moved. I like to connect. I like to see other worlds. So cinema for me is something that I-- I'll never get fatigued from.

In terms of how to make the movie feel differently and-- or fresh, you know? Well, we wanted to include the family as part of this journey, not just as bait, you know?

The family has active participation in the formation of this hero, and the formation of Jaime. Like, their values are what makes Jaime the kid he is. But also, they're active participation are the ones that make him the hero he'll become.