Blue Beetle
An alien scarab chooses Jaime Reyes to be its symbiotic host, bestowing the recent college graduate with a suit of armor that's capable of extraordinary powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero known as Blu...
Working with a substantial budget of $104.0M, the film achieved a steady performer with $130.8M in global revenue (+26% profit margin).
3 wins & 12 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Blue Beetle (2023) exemplifies carefully calibrated dramatic framework, characteristic of Ángel Manuel Soto's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 8 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.3, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jaime Reyes
Jenny Kord
Victoria Kord
Rudy Reyes
Nana Reyes
Alberto Reyes
Rocío Reyes
Milagro Reyes
Carapax
Main Cast & Characters
Jaime Reyes
Played by Xolo Maridueña
A recent college graduate who becomes the host of an alien scarab, transforming him into the superhero Blue Beetle.
Jenny Kord
Played by Bruna Marquezine
The daughter of Ted Kord who helps Jaime understand the scarab and opposes her aunt's evil plans.
Victoria Kord
Played by Susan Sarandon
The ruthless CEO of Kord Industries who seeks to weaponize the scarab technology for military profit.
Rudy Reyes
Played by George Lopez
Jaime's eccentric uncle and conspiracy theorist who becomes an enthusiastic supporter of his nephew's transformation.
Nana Reyes
Played by Adriana Barraza
Jaime's grandmother and family matriarch who reveals her own badass revolutionary past when her family is threatened.
Alberto Reyes
Played by Damián Alcázar
Jaime's hardworking father who struggles to provide for his family and initially fears for his son's safety.
Rocío Reyes
Played by Elpidia Carrillo
Jaime's supportive mother who holds the family together with love and strength during their trials.
Milagro Reyes
Played by Belissa Escobedo
Jaime's younger sister who is fiercely loyal, tech-savvy, and helps him navigate his new powers.
Carapax
Played by Raoul Max Trujillo
Victoria Kord's cybernetically enhanced enforcer with a tragic past, powered by the OMAC technology.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jaime Reyes returns home to Palmera City after graduating college, optimistic about his future but finding his family facing financial struggles and his father's health declining.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Jaime is fired from the Kord estate after defending Jenny from security. Jenny gives him a mysterious hamburger box containing the alien Scarab, telling him to keep it safe and claiming it's important.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 31 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Victoria Kord's forces attack the Reyes home to retrieve the Scarab. Jaime must consciously activate the suit to defend his family, fully entering the world of superheroics and making the family a target., moving from reaction to action.
At 64 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Victoria captures Jaime and extracts the Scarab to create her own weapon, the OMAC soldier. Jaime appears defeated, seemingly losing the suit, while Victoria gains the upper hand with her plans nearly complete., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 95 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Jaime's father Alberto dies from a heart attack during Victoria's assault on their home. The heart of the family is lost, and Jaime blames himself for bringing this danger to his family., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 103 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Nana reveals she was a revolutionary fighter, and the family rallies together, deciding to honor Alberto's memory by fighting back. Jaime realizes the Scarab chose him because of his family, not in spite of them. They suit up together for the final battle., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Blue Beetle's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Blue Beetle against these established plot points, we can identify how Ángel Manuel Soto utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Blue Beetle within the action genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jaime Reyes returns home to Palmera City after graduating college, optimistic about his future but finding his family facing financial struggles and his father's health declining.
Theme
Jaime's father Alberto tells him "La familia es todo" (Family is everything), establishing the core theme that family and legacy matter more than individual ambition.
Worldbuilding
Jaime reconnects with his family including sister Milagro, uncle Rudy, and Nana. The Reyes family faces eviction. Jaime and Milagro take jobs at the Kord estate where he meets Jenny Kord, who is at odds with her aunt Victoria over the family weapons company.
Disruption
Jaime is fired from the Kord estate after defending Jenny from security. Jenny gives him a mysterious hamburger box containing the alien Scarab, telling him to keep it safe and claiming it's important.
Resistance
Jaime debates what to do with the strange box. Despite warnings, his family's curiosity leads them to open it. The Scarab chooses Jaime, bonding with him painfully and transforming him into Blue Beetle against his will. The family tries to understand what happened.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Victoria Kord's forces attack the Reyes home to retrieve the Scarab. Jaime must consciously activate the suit to defend his family, fully entering the world of superheroics and making the family a target.
Mirror World
Jenny takes Jaime to the abandoned Kord Industries facility, revealing her father Ted Kord was the original Blue Beetle. She represents the legacy Jaime must embrace and becomes his connection to understanding his new role.
Premise
Jaime learns to use the suit's powers with his family's help. Uncle Rudy geeks out over the technology. They discover Victoria wants to weaponize the Scarab technology. Jaime and Jenny grow closer as they investigate Ted Kord's disappearance and the Scarab's origin.
Midpoint
Victoria captures Jaime and extracts the Scarab to create her own weapon, the OMAC soldier. Jaime appears defeated, seemingly losing the suit, while Victoria gains the upper hand with her plans nearly complete.
Opposition
The Scarab returns to Jaime, but Victoria escalates by attacking the Reyes family directly. Carapax, Victoria's enforcer, destroys their home. The family is scattered and on the run as Victoria closes in from all sides.
Collapse
Jaime's father Alberto dies from a heart attack during Victoria's assault on their home. The heart of the family is lost, and Jaime blames himself for bringing this danger to his family.
Crisis
Jaime grieves his father's death and considers giving up. His family mourns together, and Jaime feels he has failed the one thing his father valued most: protecting the family.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Nana reveals she was a revolutionary fighter, and the family rallies together, deciding to honor Alberto's memory by fighting back. Jaime realizes the Scarab chose him because of his family, not in spite of them. They suit up together for the final battle.
Synthesis
The Reyes family storms Victoria's facility together. Jaime fights Carapax and Victoria's OMAC tech, fully mastering the suit by accepting it as part of himself. He saves Carapax by helping him break free from Victoria's control, showing mercy. Victoria is defeated, and the Scarab's legacy is secured.
Transformation
Jaime stands with his family at their rebuilt home, now fully embracing his identity as Blue Beetle. Jenny gives him access to the Beetle Cave. The family is together and stronger, with Jaime understanding that being a hero means protecting family and legacy.