Summary
- Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto confirms that there is a secret Easter egg in the movie honoring Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man from Spider-Man 2.
- The Easter eggs and nods in Blue Beetle are subtle and enjoyable, celebrating the superhero/comic book genre without making fun of other superhero movies.
- Blue Beetle’s reference to Spider-Man 2 highlights the ongoing influence and success of the film, while also teasing potential future developments for the character in the DC Universe.
Warning! This article includes SPOILERS for Blue Beetle.Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man gets honored in the Blue Beetle movie as the filmmaker confirms a secret Easter egg to the web-slinger. Jaime Reyes became the latest superhero to jump from the pages of screens to the big screen as Blue Beetle opened in theaters earlier this month, becoming the first major comic book film to feature a Latino lead. Blue Beetle explored Jaime’s origin story as he discovered the alien Scarab, Khaji-Da, as he became one of the DC Universe’s first superheroes for James Gunn’s upcoming continuity.
Similar to most comic book films, Blue Beetle had many Easter eggs and nods to various superheroes and supervillains. Blue Beetle also had cultural references to various elements in pop culture and entertainment that only specific audience members would be able to catch.
One of the theorized Easter eggs in Blue Beetle movie came from Jenkins Peeler, a content creator who speculated that there was a nod to Spider-Man 2. In the video, Peeler brings up the scene where Jaime falls on a car and moans in pain, “My back!” which is identical to what happened to Maguire’s Peter Parker in Spider-Man 2.
Not long after his video was shared on Instagram, it turned out that Peeler was 100% correct in his theory. Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto commented on the post with a GIF, saying, “Pretty, pretty, pretty good,” confirming that this was indeed an homage to Spider-Man 2.
How Blue Beetle’s Obscure Superhero Easter Eggs Make The Movie Even Better
When it comes to Easter eggs in superhero movies, it can be either hit or miss, as sometimes there are cases when it may feel forced and less organic. Whether they are simple name drops or visual cues, nods also risk alienating new viewers not already familiar with superhero media. In Blue Beetle’s case, all of the homages and tributes were subtle while also making the film feel subtly part of something bigger.
What makes Blue Beetle’s nods entertaining is that they serve as a way to celebrate the superhero/comic book genre, which has become one of the biggest ones in Hollywood for the last two decades. Rather than making fun of other superhero movies, Blue Beetle’s Easter eggs and call-outs became a reminder that DC and Marvel films are dependent on their respective success. Spider-Man 2 is still to this day regarded as one of the best comic book movies, and having Blue Beetle make a casual but fun reference to it just highlights the influence that film has even in 2023.
The bigger question now about Jaime’s future after Blue Beetle is where viewers will be able to catch him next in Gunn’s DC Universe. While a Blue Beetle 2 sequel has not been greenlit, DC Studios definitely has plans for him after the events of the first movie. Hopefully, whatever happens to Jaime after Blue Beetle will help expand his greater story after what the 2023 movie was able to set up.
Source: Jenkins Peeler/Instagram
