The first wave of reviews for Blue Beetle were published yesterday afternoon, and while almost twice as many have been counted since then, the DC Comics adaptation has only dipped by 5%.
Starting at 88%, it now sits at 83% based on 82 reviews. A Critics Consensus has also been generated which reads, "Led by Xolo Maridueña's magnetic performance in the title role, Blue Beetle is a refreshingly family-focused superhero movie with plenty of humor and heart."
As of now, Blue Beetle is destined for "Certified Fresh" status, a rarity for the DCEU. In fact, there are only 4 of 16 movies which have achieved that feat; those are Wonder Woman, The Suicide Squad, Shazam!, and Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey.
In fact, Jaime Reyes' origin story is now the best-reviewed DCEU movie since 2021's The Suicide Squad (90%).
Blue Beetle's current score beats, Black Adam (39%), Shazam! Fury of the Gods (49%), and The Flash (64%), though it's not as if those three exactly pose much in the way of competition given the tepid response they received.
However, Elseworlds movie The Batman (2022) has it beat with 85%.
Only time will tell if Blue Beetle maintains this score, particularly as at least another couple hundred reviews will be counted in the coming days. This is an undeniably strong start, though.
In Blue Beetle, recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab.
When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero known as Blue Beetle.
The movie stars Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, Belissa Escobedo, Harvey Guillén, with Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez. Angel Manuel Soto directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer.
Blue Beetle arrives in theaters on August 18.