This summer will see Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn make his first foray into the DC universe with The Suicide Squad. The film will serve as a soft reboot of David Ayer's original 2016 Suicide Squad, with some fan-favorites returning alongside a largely new cast.
Captain Boomerang, Amanda Waller, Rick Flag, and Margot Robbie's iconic Harley Quinn will all return to their DC roles. Meanwhile, the star-studded cast will be packed with huge actors playing unknown villains such as Idris Elba as Bloodsport, Michael Rooker as Savant, and Peter Capaldi's The Thinker.
Former wrestler John Cena will play a key role in the film as the “douchey Captain America” Peacemaker, who believes in achieving world peace at all costs. Cena will return to the role in 2022 through his own HBO Max series that Gunn will direct.
The director has warned fans not to get too attached to the giant star-power cast, seemingly suggesting that many of the characters won't make it out alive.
Friday, March 26 saw the release of the first trailer for the film, alongside which thirteen new posters have been released highlighting the entire cast.
NEW POSTER RELEASED FOR THE SUICIDE SQUAD
The first trailer for James Gunn's The Suicide Squad is set to release today, and a new poster has been released in anticipation of it, highlighting the entire team.
As well as the poster showcasing the whole team, several members of the ensemble cast have shared character posters across social media highlighting their individual roles.
All the posters are accompanied by the tagline “Don't Get Too Attached,” reiterating Gunn's notion that most of the team won't make it out of this mission alive.
The Polka-Dot man makes his live-action debut in the film, played by Ant-Man actor David Dastmalchian.
Former Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi will play The Thinker in the film.
King Shark will be a giant CGI character in the summer blockbuster, voiced by Rocky and Creed star Sylvester Stallone himself.
Daniela Melchior will play Ratcatcher in the film, who is shown surrounded by rats in her character poster.
Thor's Heimdall actor Idris Elba will jump ship to the DC universe in The Suicide Squad, following his character's death in Avengers: Infinity War. He will play the gun-toting Bloodsport in the film, shown in his poster alongside a barrage of bullets.
The director's own brother, Sean Gunn, will appear in a CGI role in the film as Weasel, who is surrounded by treats in his poster, referencing his animalistic nature. James Gunn has shown his ability to add heart to CGI animals in the past with Rocket Raccoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, so fans ought to be in for a treat.
John Cena's “douchey Captain America” Peacemaker will play a key role in the film before starring in his own HBO Max series in 2022, helmed by the film's director James Gunn himself.
Idris Elba isn't the only Marvel actor moving over to DC following their death in the MCU. Yondu actor Michael Rooker will reunite with James Gunn to join the squad as Savant.
While the film is largely made up of a new cast, several members of the original 2016 team will return this year. Fan-favorite Margot Robbie will reprise her iconic role as Harley Quinn, sporting a totally new look that is shown in her character poster.
Australian actor Jai Courtney will return as Flash villain Captain Boomerang in the film, shown surrounded by a swarm of boomerangs.
The Suicide Squad is a team of former villains under the control of government organization ARGUS, led by Amanda Waller. Viola Davis will return to this role from 2016's Suicide Squad, shown in her poster surrounding by ignited bombs to reference hose implanted by her in the team's necks to keep them in line.
Joel Kinnaman will return as the team's ARGUS-appointed leader, Rick Flag, this time sporting a less militaristic look than the 2016 film.
THE SUICIDE SQUAD IS DC'S WEIRDEST FILM YET, AND THAT'S GREAT
All twelve of the new character posters provide the best looks yet at the bright, vibrant, and comic book-inspired looks the team will don in Gunn's film. Meanwhile, the team poster puts particular emphasis on Peacemaker, Bloodsport, Harley Quinn, Rick Flag, Polka-Dot Man, Ratcatcher, and King Shark, seemingly indicating they will be the main stars of Gunn's film.
James Gunn's The Suicide Squad is set to bring the director's unique blend of blockbuster action and humor to the DC universe, and that is exactly what the studio needs right now. With his Guardians of the Galaxy films, Gunn showcased his ability to turn unknown characters into household names, something this film needs as it's largely packed with deeper cuts from the DC universe.
In the past, DC has been accused of playing it safe by largely focussing on its A-list heroes like Batman and Superman who have both seen multiple reboots, but The Suicide Squad shows the studio attempting to rectify that.
The R-rated action will be accompanied by a cast of actors unlike the world of DC has been before with major stars in every role. The marketing campaign of the film seems to be leaning into the idea that fans shouldn't expect most of the villains to make it out alive — be that at the hand of ARGUS's neck explosives or whatever threat they may be going up against.
The Suicide Squad will debut simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters this summer on August 6.
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