With the Blue Beetle movie now in theaters, people might have heard about the so-called “Blue Beetle Battalion” promoting the film online. What exactly is this “battalion,” and why is it so involved with the movie? And what did the Blue Beetle Battalion do for the DC superhero movie? Here’s what you need to know.
Who is the Blue Beetle Battalion?
The Blue Beetle Battalion is a fan-made marketing campaign to promote Blue Beetle.
The ongoing SAG-AFTRA movie strikes are claiming some victims, and Blue Beetle is one of them. Much of the Blue Beetle cast wasn’t actively promoting their efforts in the Ángel Manuel Soto-directed film in solidarity with strikes. At the same time, Warner Bros. was clearly being very cautious in the marketing campaign, considering the below-the-expectation results of The Flash and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Much of the promotion Blue Beetle received was due to Blue Beetle fans, who put on their best efforts to make the headlines and have as many people as possible talking about the film. It’s unclear when the marketing campaign started, but it went as far as receiving the praise of Blue Beetle himself, Xolo Maridueña.
List of Blue Beetle fan marketing campaigns
The Blue Beetle Battalion is responsible for several fake promotional tie-ins and mock advertisements. The list includes:
- Blue Beetle Burger King Whopper
- Blue Beetle McDonald’s shake
- Vinyl soundtrack album
- Blue Beetle Nintendo DS game
- Blue Beetle Jell-O flavor
As mentioned, all these advertisements are fake, and, unfortunately, you won’t get to taste the Blue Beetle burger. Still, those listed above are just a few examples of how the Blue Beetle Battalion raised awareness for the movie release.
Blue Beetle hit theaters on August 18.
For more Blue Beetle-related content, check out how to get your hands on the backpack popcorn vessel. Also, here’s whether the upcoming movie is part of the DC Universe.