When it was announced that James Gunn would be writing the upcoming “The Suicide Squad,” it was revealed that this new film would be not so much a sequel, as it would be a reboot of sorts. Obviously, with the critical reaction to the first David Ayer-directed film being so negative, but worldwide box office reaching almost $750 million, Warner Bros. wants the ‘Suicide Squad’ name to ring a few bells, but also ensure that Gunn’s version is viewed as something new for folks that weren’t into the first film. Basically, with James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad,” Warner Bros. wants to have its cake and eat it too.
READ MORE: ‘The Suicide Squad’: Idris Elba To Replace Will Smith As Deadshot
That being said, even though we know that Deadshot will return to the ‘Squad,’ albeit looking more like Idris Elba and less like Will Smith, Gunn is expected to introduce a whole new group of members to the anti-heroic team. And thanks to a new report from Collider, we have an idea of which characters will fill out the ‘Suicide Squad’ roster.
First off, the report doesn’t shed light on the big questions, such as the status of Margot Robbie (depending on where you look, she’s either definitely NOT coming back or a guarantee to show up) or Joel Kinnaman (odds are he’s out, and possibly recast, per reports). But never fear, fans of vaguely villainous, weird, and obscure characters, Gunn has you covered.
The report says that Gunn is expected to add four new members, including Ratcatcher, Polka-Dot Man, King Shark, and Peacemaker. Yeah, you’re probably reading those names and saying to yourself, “What the hell?” Don’t worry, here’s your quick summary.
Ratcatcher is a Batman villain that is, as the name would suggest, able to communicate with rats. In the comics, he’s also known to use a gas gun and loves cyanide. However, the report suggests that Gunn is going to gender-swap the character, and make the female Ratcatcher someone very close to Elba’s Deadshot.
Polka-Dot Man is the owner of one of the silliest code-name in all of comics. As you might guess, this guy is covered in polka-dots and uses his loud fashion choice to conceal various weapons. Surely, Gunn has some comedic gold ready for fans regarding this one.
King Shark is perhaps the most well-known of these villains. In fact, the anthropomorphic, super-strong shark has shown up in live-action, as a villain in the CW ‘Flash’ series. Think of him as a more interesting Killer Croc.
Finally, we have Peacemaker. This character is so in love with the idea of peace and pacifism that he’ll kill for it. See, irony. The report suggests that Peacemaker is the role that Gunn has tailor-made for Dave Bautista, if the actor is able to sign on to the film. As we’ve reported before, Bautista, who stars in Gunn’s two MCU ‘Guardians’ films, has been a steadfast supporter of the director and has voiced his interest in joining the DC film.
Of course, until anything official is announced, take these with a grain of salt. That being said, these are interesting choices for Gunn and show that the filmmaker is sticking with what worked with his ‘Guardians’ films – focusing on C-list/D-list characters that he can mold into something he can put his own signature on.
“The Suicide Squad” is dated to hit theaters on August 6, 2021, which would mark a full 5 years after the first film.
