The formation and eventual advent of the DCU is what has got comic book fans excited for the past several months, and so far, the promises made by DC Studios CEO James Gunn about the newly-created franchise look promising. With several projects now underway, including the much-awaited Superman: Legacy, it’s just a matter of time before the cinematic universe starts taking shape.
While the filmmaker may have revealed in the past that this franchise was a complete overhaul of the old DCEU, people were expecting him to retain the stars who played iconic superhero roles from the old regimes. The good news is that Xolo Maridueña seems to be returning as Blue Beetle in the new franchise, while Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman from Black Adam still has an uncertain future.
Aldis Hodge Is Open to Making His Entry In The DCU As Hawkman If James Gunn Wants Him To
The complete overhaul of the DC cinematic universe was a shocker that DC Studios CEO James Gunn executed when he and co-CEO Peter Safran took over, and this led to a spiral of radical changes being implemented into the creation of the new DCU. This vision not only had no place for any narrative related to the old regime but also wanted very few of the stars that became iconic to once again play these roles in the franchise.
Among the many stars that the fans wanted the filmmaker to retain in the new cinematic universe going forward, not many expected themselves to be cheering for Aldis Hodge to return as Hawkman, but due to his amazing performance in 2022’s Black Adam, he became a serious contender in the race to the DCU.
In a recent interview with ScreenRant, when asked whether he had any meeting with the Guardians of the Galaxy director about coming to the new franchise, he said that he had no idea at this point, stating it was not in his power to make it happen on its own, saying:
“I will say that I would like to finish out the plans that we had for Hawkman, and sort of revisit them, because there’s such a body of depth when it comes to his whole storyline, and all that kind of stuff. So, if that’s something they’re interested in, my door’s always open for that. But, I know they want to build out a very different world. I can’t speak to whether I’m going to be part of that world, as that’s above my paygrade, but if they want to pick up the phone, I’m always here.”
So far, there have been no updates about Hodge returning his his on-screen superhero in the future, but on the other hand, Xolo Maridueña confirms Blue Bettle is certainly in Gunn’s plans.
Xolo Maridueña Is All Set To Make His Return As Blue Beetle In The DCU
Despite the abysmal performance of the film in the past, Blue Beetle was a lovable character that everyone liked, and it seems like even Gunn believes so, which is why he’s returning to the DCU with Xolo Maridueña as the face of his alter-ego Jamie Reyes.
In a recent conversation with ScreenRant on the red carpet at The Saturn Awards, the Cobra Kai star was asked whether he would return as his superhero persona in the new DCU, to which he replied positively. He said:
“I know we’ll see Blue Beetle again, whether it comes in the form of Blue Beetle 2 or wherever. It’s been really great to work alongside James [Gunn] and Peter [Safran], who have graciously folded us into their new universe even though it wasn’t part of what they came up with. It’s an honor. Now, where Blue Beetle heads in the future?I don’t know. But I can confidently say that we will see him soon.”
Thus, we can expect great things from the upcoming franchise as new, and some old stars will be taking charge.
Black Adam and Blue Beetle, streaming on Max.
