Warning: This article contains spoilers for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024).

As one of the two new antagonists in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Delores intrigues viewers, bringing up questions about her background, abilities, and revenge plan. After 36 years of waiting for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel hit the big screens with overwhelmingly positive reviews. The story feels fresh, while the visuals look perfect for a Tim Burton movie. The long-awaited sequel expands upon the existing lore of the Neitherworld in a way that feels fulfilling and exciting.

Additionally, the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice characters include a strong mix of new and returning characters. While the old characters bring charm and nostalgia, the new characters offer exciting narrative arcs that will keep viewers engaged until the end. One of the best additions to the bunch is Betelgeuse’s demonic, soul-sucking ex-wife, who makes it her goal to get revenge.

Who Plays Delores In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Model And Actor Monica Bellucci Plays Delores

In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, actor-model Monica Bellucci plays Betelgeuse’s ex-wife, Delores. Though she didn’t appear in the first movie, Delores’ finger appears in Beetlejuice when the “ghost with the most” pulls a wedding ring off a dismembered finger to give to Lydia for their wedding. He tells Lydia, “I’m telling you, honey, she meant nothing to me…nothing at all.” It’s unclear whether Bellucci’s hand played the finger, but it seems probable that it was a prop.

She’s gone on to act in two of the most iconic film franchises of all time, The Matrix and James Bond .

Before the Beetlejuice sequel, Monica Bellucci had already carved out a long and incredibly successful career. Her path began with studying law at university, which she supported by modeling. Her career took off in 1988, leading her to Milan. Three years later, she made her acting debut with the Italian TV movie Vita Coi Figli.

Her career continued to grow when she made her Hollywood film debut in the 1992 movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula, in which she played Dracula’s Bride. In 1997, Monica Bellucci was nominated for Most Promising Actress at the 1997 César Awards – the French equivalent of the Oscars – for her role in The Apartment. Since then, she’s gone on to act in two of the most iconic film franchises of all time, The Matrix and James Bond. Ultimately, she became a well-known model and actor in France, Italy, and the United States.

Delores’ Origins Before Dying & Her Marriage To Betelgeuse Explained

Delores Has A Cryptic Background Involving A Soul-Sucking Death Cult

The movie Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doesn’t directly confirm when and where Delores and Betelgeuse lived, but the two movies combined provide reasonably concrete answers. The section with their flashbacks is spoken in Italian, implying that they lived in Italy. Betelgeuse confirms he lived during a plague in the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice dialogue, which hit Italy through the pandemic and a series of epidemics from the 1300s to the 1600s. In the first movie, he stated that he lived through the Black Plague. Combining these quotes and the location, the flashback of Delores and Betelgeuse’s meeting likely occurred between 1346 and 1353.

The pair met on a cold, starless night when he was robbing the grave of a plague-stricken individual. She appeared wearing a black dress with a corset and an intricately designed black plague doctor’s mask. Despite his hardened heart, they immediately fell in love and married. At their wedding, they drank each other’s blood, bit the heads off of chickens, and sacrificed a goat – which Betelgeuse hilariously describes as traditional. Unbeknownst to him, Delores was involved in a soul-sucking death cult, which would be both of their downfalls in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

How Delores Died & Why She Poisoned Betelgeuse

Delores And Betelgeuse Killed Each Other

After their wedding, Delores and Betelgeuse returned to the bedroom for a steamy romp. The pair had sex and then drank together. However, Delores spiked his drink with poison so that he would die. In order to gain immortality, she needed to take his life and suck out his soul. Whether this is true or simply a myth from her cult is unclear. However, in the world of Beetlejuice, the possibility of immortality seems more likely than not. In either circumstance, she wouldn’t have the chance to find out.

Once he realized what she had done, Betelgeuse retaliated by hacking her into tiny pieces with an ax, which is why she is dismembered when she’s first introduced in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Somehow, after her death, the pieces of her body were placed in boxes in the lost and found department of the Neitherworld, where she pieces herself back together to “Tragedy” by Bee Gees from the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s soundtrack.

Delores’ Soul-Sucking Powers In Beetlejuice 2 Explained

The Soul-Sucking Powers In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Are Mysterious

One of the most intriguing aspects of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the unexplained powers of Delores. Her ability to suck out the souls of others is a peculiar piece of world-building that could have benefited from more development. The only known fact is that she gained this ability before Beetlejuice killed her, and it occurred in relation to her cult. Unfortunately, because the audience never gets to see the group, it’s unclear whether she is the only one with this power or if others possess the soul-sucking abilities as well. This mystery adds a layer of intrigue to Delores’ character.

Delores’ Beetlejuice 2 Story Explained: Why She’s Traveling The Afterlife To Get Revenge Against Betelgeuse

Delores Is Determined To Get Revenge On Her Killer

When speaking with Collider, Monica Bellucci described her character as “…full of rage and desperation and obsessed with vengeance.” This description perfectly captures Delores’ intense ire towards her ex-husband in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. She’s the epitome of a scorned woman, following Betelgeuse around the Neitherworld with a singular purpose – punishing him for killing her. After all, if it weren’t for him, she would still be alive. Her determination for revenge is palpable but sadly underexplored by the end of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

If her magic still worked in the Neitherworld, she could pursue Betelgeuse to gain an immortal life instead of being stuck in the afterlife.

A second possible explanation for Delores pursuing her ex-husband throughout Beetlejuice 2 lies within the titular ghost’s voiceover statements during the flashback. Betelgeuse stated that she could have immortality if she took the ghost’s life and soul. He never clarifies whether this would only work for Delores during life. If her magic still worked in the Neitherworld, she could pursue Betelgeuse to gain an immortal life instead of being stuck in the afterlife. This would explain the drive with which she pursues the “ghost with the most” in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Source: Collider