UPDATE
Does this make you want to see the movie? Or perhaps play Blue Beetle in Injustice 2? Let us know below!
ORIGINAL STORY
It’s not the easiest time being a DC Comics fan. The movie universe is going through many weird things, not the least of which is a reboot that may or may not reboot everything based on conflicting reports. Then there’s the live-action TV universe, which is dead outside of one show, and that one won’t come back until late next year due to the writer’s strike. But there is always hope, as the superheroes would say, and the Blue Beetle movie is one upcoming hope. Early impressions are that the film stands out thanks to its family focus and epic action, so it’ll be curious to see how it does.
One thing that director Angel Manuel Soto focused on with the film is being “grounded” and having a true impact with all that it does. That’s why the suit is not CGI but a mix of an actual suit mixed with effects. But when it came to the fight scenes, the team used numerous references to deliver not only epic battles but to reflect what the Scarab and Jaime Reyes could do together. That included using a certain DC Comics fighting game as a reference point:
“I wanted the action and violence to be a little more visceral,” Soto noted in an interview with Discussing Film. So, one of the things we wanted was for this movie to feature a little bit more hand-to-hand combat. We used a lot of references like The Raid movies and Gangs of London for the hand-to-hand combat, which Jon Valera, our stunt coordinator, drives very well. We managed to make something that represented that kind of flesh-to-flesh intimacy that can exist in violence. But, at the same time, we play with different alternatives that are fantastic and the wish-fulfillment of a young man. For example, a lot of the combos in Injustice 2, we used them as a reference during fights and with the manifestations of the weapons. Blue Beetle’s blaster was even inspired by Mega Man!”
So yeah, gaming played a big role in how the film will play out! This is cool for various reasons. Not least is that the character hasn’t been in as many gaming titles as you might think.
If part of this sounds familiar, you may recall that last year, the Black Adam film made a similar reference thanks to Dr. Fate.
Oh, and NetherRealm Studios hasn’t ruled out doing a third entry in the popular series.
