Blue Beetle eyeing $30 million box office opening in the U.S.

The arrival of the latest DC superhero is nearly upon us, and he may make a bigger impression at the box office than we thought. Previous reports stated that Blue Beetle was tracking toward a $17 million opening at the domestic box office, but a new report has seen that number almost double.

According to Deadline, early tracking for Blue Beetle finds the DC movie eyeing a $30 million opening at the domestic box office. While that may not seem impressive for a superhero movie, especially after The Flash bombed with a $55 million opening, it’s important to remember that Blue Beetle has a significantly lower budget. The report states that the film is tracking very well with Latino and Hispanic audiences, who are eager to see DC’s first Latino superhero on the big screen.

With the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes still ongoing, that means that much of the talent behind Blue Beetle aren’t allowed to promote the movie, but Warner Bros. is hoping that positive word-of-mouth will help push it forward.

In addition to Xolo Maridueña as Jaime, Blue Beetle also stars Adriana Barraza (Rambo: Last Blood) as Jaime’s grandmother, Nana, Damían Alcázar (Narcos: Mexico) as his father, Elpidia Carrillo (Mayans M.C.) as his mother, Bruna Marquezine (God Save the King) as Jenny Kord, Raoul Max Trujillo (Sicario) as Carapax, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking) as Victoria Kord, and George Lopez (Rio) as Jaime’s Uncle Rudy. The film also stars Belissa Escobedo (American Horror Stories) as Jaime’s sister, Milagro, and Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows) as Dr. Sanchez. Angel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) directed Blue Beetle from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (Miss Bala).

The remnants of the previous DC franchise haven’t done all that well at the box office, but Xolo Maridueña has previously said that Blue Beetle could spawn a franchise in the DCU, it just depends on how the movie performs. “If we get one movie or a trilogy and f**king fold this into the Justice League shit, we’re ready for the whole nine,” Maridueña said. “For me and Angel [Manuel Soto, director] and the team, we kicked ass with this movie. It just depends on numbers.“

Blue Beetle will hit theaters on August 18th. If you had to make a bet, how well do you think Blue Beetle will perform at the box office?