Deathstroke, Man-Bat & 11 More Characters That James Gunn Axed From His Suicide Squad Movie

Director James Gunn revealed 12 iconic DC villains that didn't quite make it into 2021's The Suicide Squad.

By Lauren Rouse Posted:
Suicide Squad Deathstroke Man-Bat

DC's Suicide Squad may have missed the mark in 2016, but the villainous squad is getting a second chance in James Gunn's 2021 reboot The Suicide Squad.

Task Force X will be kept in check, once again, by Viola Davis' Amanda Waller who has recruited a squad of new and returning villains. Margot Robbie and Jai Courtney will reprise their roles from the 2016 film as Harley Quinn and Captain Boomerang respectively, and they will be joined by an ensemble of characters from the DC universe such as Idris Elba's Bloodsport and John Cena as Peacemaker.

The team will need all the help they can get as they go up against iconic DC villain Starro, but despite there being almost too many main characters to count in The Suicide Squad, there are still some that didn't make the cut.

POTENTIAL VILLAINS FOR THE SUICIDE SQUAD

The Suicide Squad director James Gunn has been responsive to fan questions on Twitter about his upcoming DC film.

When asked whether he could share some of the villains that didn't make it into The Suicide Squad, Gunn revealed a list of DC characters he had considered. The director said that while he loves many of these other characters "they didn't serve the story quite as well."

Twitter user @fanflipintastic helped to identify the villains in each image, and there are some big names on the list. 

First up, there's Livewire, aka Leslie Williams.

Livewire DC Villain
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Criminal husband and wife duo Punch and Jewelee are next.

DC Punch and Jewelee
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Batman villain Black Spider also made the list.

DC Black Spider
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Most fans would recognize Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke, who has already appeared in the DCU played by Joe Manganiello.

DC Deathstroke
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Next up is the literal 'Batman,' Man-Bat.

DC Man-Bat
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The explosive villain Plastique nearly made the cut.

DC Plastique
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DC's Chemo also didn't quite make it into The Suicide Squad.

DC Chemo
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Anatoli Knyazev, aka KGBeast, previously appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice but won't be seen in The Suicide Squad.

DC KGBeast
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Solomon Grundy was another Batman villain who missed out.

DC Solomon Grundy
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The more obscure Rainbow Creature was also on Gunn's list.

DC The Rainbow Creature
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Liam Hawkleigh, aka Gunhawk, nearly made the jump to live-action in The Suicide Squad.

DC Gunhawk
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Last but not least is the super-villainess Knockout.

DC Knockout
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Gunn said that while these characters aren't in The Suicide Squad, he is "open to using them in the future." 

VILLAINS FOR A POTENTIAL SUICIDE SQUAD SEQUEL?

The Suicide Squad is already packed to the brim, but the 12 characters on Gunn's miss-list just goes to show the huge library of iconic villains DC has at its disposal. 

Some notable villains from the list, like Deathstroke and KGBeast, have already appeared in Zack Snyder's DC films but were never really given much screen time. Similarly, characters like Livewire, Solomon Grundy, and Man-Bat have shown up in the Arrowverse and DC video games but have yet to make their way to a big-screen DC project. 

Gunn is already bringing lesser-known DC villains like Polka-Dot Man, Ratcatcher, and Savant to the forefront in The Suicide Squad. Should the director be given the green light for a sequel, it's highly likely some characters from this list will finally get their chance at the spotlight.

The Suicide Squad releases in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6, 2021.

- In This Article: From (S3)
Release Date
September 22, 2024
Platform
Cable TV
Actors
Catalina Sandino Moreno
Eion Bailey
Harold Perrineau
Genres
- About The Author: Lauren Rouse
Lauren Rouse has been a writer at The Direct since the site launched in 2020. She has a huge passion for everything pop culture and currently writes news articles for the Marvel, Star Wars, DC and video game branches.