Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Blue Beetle!
Summary
- Blue Beetle's ending focuses on Jaime and his allies working together to defeat Victoria Kord and her plan to create an army of O.M.A.C. suits.
- The Scarab's influence prevents Jaime from killing Carapax, revealing his true nature as a hero who refuses to become a killer.
- The ending sets up Jaime's future as Blue Beetle, with him accepting his destiny and committing to protecting Palmera City, while also teasing the introduction of Ted Kord as his mentor in future installments.
The DC Universe gets a new hero in Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), and the DCEU movie timeline, Blue Beetle tells the origin story of DC's Latino superhero Jaime Reyes, a recent college graduate who comes home to Palmera City and becomes bonded to a symbiotic alien Scarab that grants him powers. The stolen Scarab puts him and Jennifer Kord (Bruna Marquezine) in the sight of Kord Industries CEO Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) and her henchman Conrad Carapax (Raoul Trujillo). This ultimately leads to Jaime's dad dying and learning about the history of the Blue Beetle mantle.
After Victoria and Carapax capture Jaime to regain access to the Scarab, Blue Beetle's ending revolves around Jennifer and Jaime's family devising a plan to go rescue him. Jaime is left trapped in a device programmed to the Scarab's code and transfer it to Victoria's O.M.A.C. suits, allowing her to create an army of thousands. While he eventually breaks free and begins fighting back against his enemies, Jaime's allies among Blue Beetles' cast of characters continue their pursuits to help take down Victoria, Carapax, and more soldiers. Blue Beetle's ending builds to a final confrontation between the heroes and villains before teasing part of the DC Universe's future.
How Blue Beetle Stops Victoria Kord's Plan
The entirety of Blue Beetle's ending revolves around Jaime, Jennifer, Milagro Reyes, Rudy Reyes, Nana Reyes, and Rocio Reyes attempting to find a way to keep each other safe and take down Victoria Kord. She is successful in ing the Scarab's code and transferring it to Carapax's O.M.A.C. suit, but she has thousands of others underground on the remote island she secretly works from. It is only after Dr. Sanchez helps Blue Beetle escape safely that he is able to begin fighting back against Victoria and Carapax. As expected, Blue Beetle ends with the heroes defeating the villains and Victoria being defeated, but how it happens is unexpected.
Why The Scarab Stops Jaime Reyes From Killing Carapax
A turning point in Blue Beetle's ending comes when the Scarab, known as Khaji-Da, stops Jaime from killing Carapax. Jaime wants revenge on the man he believes is partially responsible for his father's death and comes within centimeters of becoming a killer. Thanks to Jaime and the Scarab bonding, Khaji-Da is able to stop Jaime from plunging his blades far enough to kill Carapax. When he questions why she won't let him kill Carapax, Khaji-Da repeats Jaime's own words from earlier in the movie to remind him that they are not killers. The movie also reveals a deeper reason for why the Scarab stops Jaime through Carapax's backstory.
The Truth of Carapax's Backstory Revealed In Blue Beetle's Ending
Since Carapax's new powers came from the Scarab's code transfer, Khaji-Da reveals that she has access to his memories now and shows Jaime the truth behind his enemy's past. This is where Blue Beetle's ending reveals that Carapax's participation in Victoria's experiments was not entirely voluntary. Conrad's mother died when he was young from a Kord Industries bomb, leaving Victoria to find him and force him to be raised as a trained killer and soldier. The truth behind Carapax's origin helps convince Jaime to spare his life, knowing that he did not choose to become the killing machine Victoria has turned him into.
Why Carapax Self-Destructs & Kills Victoria Kord
There is a moment where it appears both Carapax and Victoria Kord will be left alive, potentially allowing either character to factor into future movie plans. However, Blue Beetle's ending goes in the opposite direction by making Carapax responsible for both of their deaths. Carapax returns to Victoria after she orders him to kill Jaime and Jennifer, but he no longer wants to serve the woman responsible for killing his mother. This leads Carapax to begin overcharging his suit to turn himself into a living bomb and pull Victoria into a burning field nearby. It is shortly after this that Carapax's suit self-destructs, killing himself and Victoria Kord.
What Happened To Victoria's Other O.M.A.C. Suits?
There is a lingering mystery left in Blue Beetle's ending in the form of the other O.M.A.C. suits that Victoria Kord had created on the island. Jennifer and Milagro are responsible for discovering their location as they traveled through the base and confirm hundreds or thousands of additional suits exist. Blue Beetle does not build upon this reveal in any way or resolve it either, as they are neither confirmed to be destroyed nor shown to have fallen into other hands. Considering the O.M.A.C.s are connected to Brainiac, Lex Luthor, and more in the comics, they could be an important piece of the DC Universe's future.
Blue Beetle's Ending Sets Up Jaime Reyes' Future & Blue Beetle 2
The majority of Blue Beetle's ending is focused on wrapping up the central conflict and giving audiences a happy conclusion for the characters. There is still room within these moments for the movie to set up Jaime Reyes' future in the DC Universe and where the story could go in a potential Blue Beetle 2. This is just Jaime Reyes' origin story after all, so more adventures with Xolo Maridueña's superhero are likely to come. How his arc develops in the third act and where the movie leaves him and the franchise helps shed some light on exactly what could come next.
Jaime Reyes Accepts His Destiny To Become Blue Beetle
One of the key moments in Blue Beetle's ending comes when Jaime Reyes accepts that being Blue Beetle is his true purpose in life. As an origin story, the movie focuses heavily on the pros and cons that come with being a superhero and how Blue Beetle's powers change Jaime's life. There is no doubt by the end that Jaime has accepted that he is supposed to be Blue Beetle, which helps set up that he can have a future as a superhero. This means that Blue Beetle 2 can begin with Jaime fully established and committed to being a superhero, showing how he's continued to evolve.
Jaime Reyes & Jennifer Kord Will Help Palmera City
Palmera City looks to be in much better hands for the future after Blue Beetle's ending too thanks to Jaime Reyes and Jennifer Kord. Jaime's love for his city and desire to rebuild his family's place in the community assures that he will continue to look out for Palmera City and the entire Mexican community, even if his adventures eventually lead him elsewhere. It also helps that the movie confirms Jennifer is now in charge of Kord Industries. She quickly makes it clear how she wants the company to act under her leadership, announcing a stoppage to creating weapons and offering to rebuild the Reyes family's house.
Ted Kord Being Alive Gives Jaime Reyes A New Mentor
A big hint for what and who could come in Blue Beetle 2 comes through Blue Beetle's post-credits scene. The mid-credits tease confirms that Ted Kord is alive despite disappearing 15 years ago, as he sends a message through his computer. The tease directly sets up Ted Kord to be in Blue Beetle 2, allowing Jennifer and her father to reunite. This also means that Ted could become a mentor for Jaime Reyes as he has done in the comics at times. Following the death of his father, Jaime could be in need of a new male role model who can also help guide him in his superhero journey.
What Blue Beetle's Ending Means For The DC Universe
Blue Beetle might not hold any shocking DC Universe crossover connections, but Jaime Reyes' future is still assured. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has confirmed that Xolo Maridueña's Blue Beetle will return in the DC Universe. Exactly when and where this will happen remains to be seen. It also is still a bit unclear how Blue Beetle will fit into the DC Universe canon. The good news is that Blue Beetle's ending leaves the door rather wide open for James Gunn and Peter Safran to work with director Ángel Manuel Soto to figure out how to bring Jaime Reyes and others into the new franchise.
Is Blue Beetle Canon For The New DC Universe?
Unfortunately, questions about if Blue Beetle is canon for the DC Universe still remain after the movie's conclusion. While Gunn has confirmed that Xolo Maridueña will return and said that Blue Beetle is the first DC Universe character, he has not said that Blue Beetle is a DC Universe movie. Superman: Legacy officially launches the new franchise and continuity in 2025, leaving the canon status of Jaime Reyes' origin story up in the air. Unless something featured in the movie directly contradicts the DC Universe canon Gunn wants to establish, the movie should be fairly easy to retroactively add to the timeline.
Where Blue Beetle Can Return In The DC Universe
With Blue Beetle's return confirmed, where and when it will happen in the DC Universe is open for debate. Blue Beetle's ending does not directly tease when audiences will see Jaime Reyes again, but there are 10 DC Universe movies and shows to consider. A few can be removed from contention for Blue Beetle's next appearance based on their premise, setting, or tone. It is possible that Superman: Legacy will include Blue Beetle in a small role. He could also make sense for Booster Gold or Lanterns depending on how the projects evolve. It is even possible Blue Beetle 2 is the next time audiences see Jaime again.
Will Ted Kord Appear In The DCU Before Blue Beetle 2?
The confirmation that Ted Kord is alive in Blue Beetle is set up for the sequel, but it also potentially makes the character in play for other DC Universe movies and shows. Booster Gold is the most likely place that the DCU could use the previous Blue Beetle. Ted Kord and Michael Carter are close friends in the comics, and Booster Gold could be used to explain why the previous Blue Beetle disappeared. Booster Gold is a time-traveling superhero, so it is possible that he and Ted Kord time-traveled 15 years ago and got trapped at a different point in time.
Will Any Other Blue Beetle Characters Survive The DCU Reboot?
While Jaime Reyes is assured a place in the DC Universe, it remains to be seen if the rest of Blue Beetle's characters survive the reboot. The most likely outcome is that Jennifer and the remaining of Jaime's family will be brought back. The family dynamic and relationships formed between the characters are a key part of Blue Beetle's story and themes. If they did not return in future DC Universe projects, it would hurt Jaime's story.
What Blue Beetle's Ending Really Means
The real meaning of Blue Beetle's ending is tied to the power of family. Jaime's love for his family is criticized early on by Carapax as being something that makes him weak. However, that could not be further from the truth. Jaime Reyes is able to be such a great superhero because of his family. He wants to save the day to protect them, but they also create an incredible system for him. Instead of Jaime's family being seen as liabilities, Blue Beetle's ending proves that Jaime's love for his family and friends (and the world) is a strength and why being a superhero is his purpose.
