Ever since it was announced that James Gunn and Peter Safran were going to be rebooting the DC Universe starting with the 2025 blockbuster Superman: Legacy, there have been a lot of questions about how existing DC projects such as The Flash, Blue Beetle, and the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom would fit in to the retrofitted universe, given that they appear to have existing ties to what fans loving referred to as the SnyderVerse. There remains a tremendous amount of uncertainty. Gal Gadot says she is making Wonder Woman 3, but then Gunn says they are not. Gunn also says Blue Beetle is the first hero in the DC Universe. So what are we supposed to make about these comments from Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Soto about Man of Steel?
When it comes to the DC universe, dedicated fans are always looking for clues and hints about how storylines are connected, and Easter eggs that link movies under the same umbrella. So in a recent interview with Nestor Cine, when Angel Manuel Soto says his movie references Man of Steel as a tribute to Zack Snyder, we start to wonder if this means Henry Cavill is part of the same universe that Blue Beetle operates in. And that might open the door for Henry Cavill.
Soto told the YouTube channel:
Waking up in Mexico to the news that [Zack] Snyder wants to see it too, a director that I respect so much, that his films are an immense influence… Even in Blue Beetle, there are some references to Man of Steel that we made out of honor and respect for the work and art of Zack Snyder. Also, seeing David Ayer sharing it… It’s like, ‘WOW, brother!’ How nice it feels to have that support from people that one respects and that the fans also respect.
Soto is talking about a Tweet Snyder shared about looking forward to seeing Blue Beetle with his family, which is very cool. But we are more interested in the fact that Blue Beetle makes references to Man of Steel. There have been numerous experiences of members of Zack Snyder’s Justice League appearing in existing DC movies, from Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman appearing in Shazam: Fury of the Gods and The Flash, to Henry Cavill popping up in the end credits of Black Adam. From what we understand, those were closed loops, scenes that promised further adventures that weren’t going to go anywhere because of James Gunn’s reboot.
But Gunn also has said that Blue Beetle is the first official DCU hero, suggesting that there will be future use of the teenage hero played by Xolo Mariduena. And that makes sense, because early reviews are calling this movie a breakout performance for the kid. The Gunn reboot feels like a soft reboot, with some members of the existing DCEU moving on (like his Peacemaker family). And if Blue Beetle references Man of Steel, then doesn’t that mean that Henry Cavill’s Superman exists in that world? And could resurface, somehow?
The wild card here is the multiverse. The Flash also mentioned the events of Man of Steel, but showed us Zod’s attack on Earth from a different perspective. Instead of Kal-El, The Flash relied on Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle), and it’s possible that Blue Beetle will dance around the specifics in a similar way. Because as far as we know, David Corenswet is playing Superman in upcoming DC projects. So this just adds a layer of confusion.
I haven’t seen Blue Beetle yet. Maybe the “Man of Steel references” is just a passing line of dialogue to the events in Metropolis. If Henry Cavill actually were to appear in Blue Beetle, we would have heard by now. Be on the lookout for the Man of Steel nods when Blue Beetle opens in theaters on August 18.
