It was recently revealed that the DCU's upcoming Blue Beetle film will include references to Zack Snyder and his Man of Steel film. Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Soto revealed his reason for this.

Speaking to Néstor Bentancor, Soto revealed that the Snyder and Man of Steel references are meant to pay homage to the filmmaker. “We made [those] out of honor and respect for the work and art of Zack Snyder,” Soto said.

Zack Snyder is the catalyst for the DCU (formerly the DCEU when Snyder was involved). It was, after all, Snyder's Man of Steel film that kicked off the entire franchise in 2013. After an up-and-down tenure with Warner Bros. and DC, Snyder eventually stepped away and it was in flux for a while.

James Gunn and Peter Safran are now coming in to present their own DCU slate. Blue Beetle is a holdover from the previous regime, but it appears the character could have a larger role in the franchise going forward.

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Angel Manuel Soto is a director known for Charm City Kings. Blue Beetle will be his third feature film as a director.

Blue Beetle follows Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mandueña), a college graduate who returns home to discover the Scarab. This device grants him the exoskeleton armor that makes him the titular hero. However, Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), is also after this tech and is hellbent on acquiring it herself. Adriana Barraza, George Lopez, Damián Alcázar, and Raoul Trujillo also star in the film.

Blue Beetle will be released on August 18.