Blue Beetle trailer gives the DC superhero a buster sword

Before Warner Bros. reboots its whole DC Films umbrella, it’s got one more new superhero to introduce you to: Jamie Reyes, the Blue Beetle. The first trailer for Blue Beetle teases a look at (Cobra Kai’s) Xolo Maridueña as Jamie, and his encounter with the alien scarab Khaji Da.

The new trailer covers much of Jaime’s movie origin story — a strange encounter with a piece of alien technology, a close knit family group, and a threatening presence of corporate power. Alongside Maridueña, the cast includes George Lopez (George Lopez) as Jaime’s uncle Rudy, Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise) as Victoria Kord, Raoul Trujillo (Apocalypto) as the villainous Carapax, and Harvey Guillén (What We Do In The Shadows) in an unknown role.

Who is Blue Beetle?

Image: DC Comics

There are multiple answers to that question, because Blue Beetle is one of DC Comics’ “legacy” characters, where writers have introduced younger, more modern characters who take on the mantle of their predecessor. The first Blue Beetle was a war-time superhero, a police officer who donned bulletproof armor and took a sci-fi vitamin supplement to moonlight as a vigilante. The second was Ted Kord, a genius inventor and self-made industrialist who styled himself as a wise-cracking superhero out of love for the Justice League and their good deeds.

The third hero, and the star of Blue Beetle, directed by Puerto Rican filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings), is Jamie, who gets his wild powers and an even wilder, bug-legged suit from an ancient piece of technology built by an alien race called the Reach. In the form of a blue, metal scarab, the device bonds with Jamie, introducing itself as Khaji Da and bestowing him Iron Man-style powers. The only catch is that Jaime can’t take the scarab off; he can only shrink it down to scarab-size and hide it on his back. Also, he and Khaji Da don’t always agree on the best course of superhero action.

Blue Beetle will hit theaters on Aug. 18.