Blue Beetle was chock full of Easter Eggs for our communities, from the music to references to the Mexican telenovela María la del Barrio, and nods to Jaime’s original comic-book city, El Paso. But perhaps the biggest Easter Egg of the movie comes via the presence of El Chapulín Colorado, which is featured both within the movie, during the post-credits scene, and even promotional material before the movie.
The references come from an age-appropriate source for them, Jaime’s Uncle Rudy.
As Rudy hacks the security system while Jaime and Jenny are trying to get inside Kord Industries, the surveillance cameras cut to an animated episode of El Chapulín Colorado. Later, in the post-credits scene, we get to see more of El Chapulín Colorado, including his iconic opening line, which goes: “Más ágil que una tortuga, más fuerte que un ratón, más noble que una lechuga, su escudo es un corazón… ¡Es El Chapulín Colorado!” (More agile than a turtle, stronger than a mouse, nobler than a lettuce, his shield is a heart… He’s the Red Grasshopper!)
El Chapulín Colorado, based on a character created by legendary Mexican comedian Roberto Gómez Bolaños, better known as Chespirito, was a Mexican TV show that ran from 1973-1979. Bolaños also starred in the popular El Chavo del Ocho, which ran from 1973-1980. Both shows were based on sketches, produced by Televisa, and aired in over 120 countries.
In El Chapulín Colorado, Chespirito plays a parody of a superhero that everyone believes to be great, but who never quite knows what he’s doing. Episodes always ended well, but it was more often than not thanks to good luck or outside help, not el Chapulín being competent.
Some of el Chapulín’s catchphrases have become part of Latin American culture, including “¡No contaban con mi astucia!” (“They did not count on my cleverness!”), “¡Síganme los buenos!” (“Good guys, follow me!”), and of course, “¡Mis antenitas de vinil están detectando la presencia del enemigo!” (“My little vinyl antennae are detecting the enemy’s presence!”). The last one, ironically, ties it to Blue Beetle perfectly. The word chapulín is of Nahuatl origin and applies to a Mexican species of grasshopper.
Jaime Reyes is not our generations El Chapulín Colorado, but it’s clear that director Ángel Manuel Soto and screenwriter Gareth Dunnet Alcocer wanted to pay tribute to the superheroes that came before Blue Beetle and the work they’ve done to pave the way for Jaime and his family. “Y ahora…¿Quién podrá defenderme?” (And now, who will defend us?) used to be answered by El Chapulín Colorado. It feels very good to have a different answer these days, and have that still be someone from our communities.
Blue Beetle is in theaters now.