The upcoming Blue Beetle movie is bringing Jaime Reyes to the DC Extended Universe and the big screen. By giving moviegoers a glimpse of his cerulean scarab in action, the film will likely make Blue Beetle a household name. Along for the ride are many of Jaime's supporting cast members, namely his father, mother and sister. Along with a few other family members, the movie's announced cast is rounded out by the villains that Jaime will be facing. Of course, two characters are notably missing from the movie.
Paco and Brenda are Jaime Reyes' best friends in the comics, with the former even showing up in cartoons alongside him. Despite that, they haven't been confirmed to be in the upcoming movie, and they'll likely miss out on Jaime's cinematic debut. Here's a look at who they are in the comics and how they could show up in Blue Beetle.
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Who Are Paco and Brenda, Blue Beetle's Best Friends?
Like Jaime himself, Brenda and Paco debuted in Infinite Crisis, being created by Keith Giffen, John Rogers and Cully Hamner. They were both there on the day that Jaime discovered the Scarab, which would later bond with him and turn him into the new Blue Beetle. During a period when Jaime had gone missing, the lives of his two friends changed dramatically. Paco began running with a local gang, while Brenda was taken in by her crime queenpin aunt after her father's death. Upon Jaime's return, the trio would become staunch friends again, with Brenda and Paco even showing up in Blue Beetle's team-ups with Booster Gold.
The New 52 would slightly change continuity, having Paco gain similar powers to Jaime after the latter lost control of the Scarab. This would turn Paco into the Blood Beetle, who saw his blue counterpart as a threat. Their knowledge of Jaime's being Blue Beetle was also changed, as this information was revealed to them somewhat early on in the original run. Paco also showed up as Jaime's friend in the cartoon Batman: The Brave and the Bold, where he was unaware of Jaime's other life. Sadly. this might be the only non-comic book appearance for Paco and Brenda for a while, as neither is planned to be featured in the live-action Blue Beetle.
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Will Paco and Brenda Be in the Blue Beetle Movie?
Most of the cast members for Blue Beetle are already known, though some will likely be revealed later. For instance, there's still speculation that Ted Kord could appear in the movie, though there's no confirmation if this is true. Xolo Maridueña plays main character Jaime Reyes, with perhaps the most interesting cast member being actor and comedian George Lopez as the original character Uncle Rudy Reyes. Another original character is Penny, played by Bruna Marquezine, who will be Jaime's love interest.
Paco and Brenda aren't mentioned anywhere so far, though one of them could be hiding in plain sight. Actor Harvey Guillén has an unspecified role in the movie, and he could be playing Paco. This would make him a good bit older than his friend, however, making the casting unlikely. It's incredibly odd that the Blue Beetle will seemingly not feature two of his most important supporting cast members since the movie is how many will come to know the characters. Perhaps Brenda and Paco will appear toward the movie's end, setting them up for larger roles in a sequel. Even this would be rather odd, almost like waiting for a second Superman movie to introduce Lois Lane. If Blue Beetle is successful, however, there will surely be more of Jaime Reyes on the big screen, with his friends more than likely finally joining him there.
FAQs
Jaime Reyes' Family & Friends
In addition to his family, Jaime also has the support of close friends, like Brenda Del Vecchio and Paco Testas. At one point, Paco bonds with his own scarab and wears a red suit of armor. Brenda's aunt is also secretly one of Jaime's most powerful enemies, the immortal La Dama.
Who is friends with the Blue Beetle? ›
Though only a teenager, Reyes quickly forms a working relationship with Kord's former teammate and best friend Booster Gold and is inducted into the Teen Titans and the Justice League.
What is the relationship between Jaime Reyes and the Blue Beetle? ›
Jaime also assisted Traci Thirteen in foiling Eclipso's attempt to kidnap a baby with great magical potential and use it as a new, uncorrupted host. During the course of the adventure, Jaime and Traci developed a romantic interest in each other, and remained in long-distance contact after Eclipso' defeat.
Are Blue Beetle and Firestorm friends? ›
Blue Beetle is a playable character and supporting character of Injustice 2. He is the best friend of Firestorm and member of the Insurgency and the Teen Titans.
Was Blue Beetle a flop? ›
It underperformed at the box office, grossing $131 million worldwide against a production budget of $104–125 million, which made it the lowest-grossing film in the DCEU.
What does Rudy call Jamie in Blue Beetle? ›
Jaime's Uncle Rudy (George Lopez) refers to him almost exclusively as cabezón, an affectionate nickname that hints at Jaime's whole childhood of stubbornness.
Why did the Blue Beetle choose Jaime? ›
It's a fascinating query that dives deep into the very essence of the story, pushing us to unravel the layers of character and narrative. The answer, though simple in essence, is profound. At its core, the Scarab saw something in Jaime, a spark of righteousness and willpower, that made him the ideal candidate.
Who is the Blue Beetle's arch enemy? ›
Carapax is the comic baddie who can truly call himself the Blue Beetle's arch nemesis …at least the Ted Kord version of Blue Beetle, anyway. In the Blue Beetle movie, Raoul Max Trujillo brings this robotic bruiser to life and there's so much to explore with the character.
Who is Blue Beetle's girlfriend? ›
The character is often written to be of Asian descent and queer, having been love interests to both Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) and Natasha Irons. Traci 13, has made several notable appearances in animated media.
Was Blue Beetle always Latino? ›
Soto has said the filmmakers wanted to create a “love letter to the people that came before us,” meaning their ancestors. But the original Blue Beetle character, an archaeologist named Dan Garrett who made his debut in 1939, didn't have any Latino DNA.
The first version of the character was a man named Dan Garrett, an archaeologist who first found the scarab in an Egyptian ruin. In 1966, the main character for the comic became Ted Kord (created by Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-Man), whose presence casts a shadow throughout the Blue Beetle film.
Who is Jaime Reyes sister in Blue Beetle? ›
Milagro Reyes is the younger sister of Jaime Reyes, the third Blue Beetle.
Who is the DC version of the Blue Beetle? ›
The original Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett, first appeared in “Mystery Men Comics” No. 1 in 1939. The second is technological genius Ted Kord, who debuted in DC Comics in a backup feature story in “Captain Atom” No. 83 in 1966.
What is blue beetles weakness? ›
Although the Scarab is the source of Blue Beetle's awesome power, it is also Jaime's greatest weakness as occasionally it wrestles with the boy for control of his mind and body.
Who is Blue Beetle sidekick? ›
Sparky, secretly Sparkington J. Northrup, was the teenaged sidekick of the Blue Beetle in the 1940s. His codename was later changed to Spunky.
Who is the enemy of blue beetles? ›
As Ted Kord, he later faces several notable enemies, including Doctor Alchemy (Showcase #13), Chronos (The Atom #3), his uncle Jarvis Kord (Blue Beetle vol. 5 #2), Enigma (Charlton Bullseye vol. 2 #1), Carapax the Indestructible Man (Blue Beetle vol. 6 #1), Hybrid (New Teen Titans vol.
What is the most powerful Scarab in DC? ›
However, the Blue Beetle Scarab wielded by Jaime Reyes may be the most powerful piece of alien technology in existence.
Is Blue Beetle originally Hispanic? ›
DC Comics' hero Blue Beetle was created in 1939 by Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski, then reimagined and given new identities several times over, until Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Cully Hamner redefined him as a Mexican American kid in 2006.
Who is the secret identity of the Blue Beetle? ›
Prime Earth Jaime Reyes to Ted Kord. Blue Beetle (real name Jaime Reyes), is a major character and superhero from the DC comics, being the third "Blue Beetle" and successor to Dan Garrett and Ted Kord.