James Gunn is giving us some major squad goals, as he unzips the body-bags for The Suicide Sqaud. As a soft reboot to David Ayer’s Suicide Squad from 2016, Task Force X is being reassembled.
The clue is in the name, and with a supersized cast – alongside promises that no one is safe – we guess a few neck bombs will be going kablooey before the final credits roll.
But just who do we think will be shaving some time off their sentence, and who will be just another notch on Amanda Waller’s bloody belt?
The Winners
Harley Quinn
Warner Bros.
We’re putting it out there now, unless Gunn has lost his mind and gone full George R.R. Martin, there’s no way Harley Quinn is going anywhere.
Not just the poster girl of The Suicide Squad, but the whole Worlds Of DC itself (sorry Diana). It means Harleen Quinzel is carrying some heavy plot armour.
While Ayer’s Suicide Squad was far from perfect, it finally gave fans a live-action Harley and fleshed out her complicated backstory. It was much the same for Birds Of Prey, so we’re sure Dr. Quinzel is in safe hands with Gunn.
Bloodsport
Warner Bros.
Idris Elba was once tipped to replace Will Smith as Deadshot in The Suicide Squad, but with Gunn deciding to bring in Bloodsport, it’s all change at the top of the squad.
As the de facto lead of these rogues, Bloodsport even has the cojones to take on Superman.
It’s possible that Gunn will pull a shocking sacrifice at the very end, however, the idea of bringing back Deathstroke to face-off with Bloodsport in a possible threequel is too tempting an offer to pass up on.
Peacemaker
Warner Bros.
Dubbed a “douchey Captain America”, John Cena is one of the biggest (literally) additions to The Suicide Squad.
The delusional Peacemaker isn’t afraid to get his hands bloody to achieve the paradox of peace, meaning he’s going to throw everything he’s got at defeating Starro.
We also can’t wait to see this chrome-domed dunce clash with the likes of Bloodsport. Although Cena’s HBO Max Peacemaker series could be a prequel, this muscular menace has got to be in it for the long run.
King Shark
Warner Bros.
Another bizarre addition from the top-tier of DC rogues is King Shark. Last-minute plans to include King Shark in Suicide Squad saw him swapped out for Killer Croc, so there’s a sense of justice it’s not a one-shot outing.
King Shark isn’t a (man?) of many words, but looking at how Gunn handled Groot, we know that doesn’t matter.
Not only does King Shark seem to feature in the final battle, but with his witty one-liners, and the gruesome scene where he rips a grunt in half, he’s going to be a cornerstone of the squad.
Ratcatcher 2
Warner Bros.
Daniela Melchoir is playing a female version of Ratcatcher, who is tipped to be the daughter of the OG. Adding a little heart to the ensemble, Ratcatcher 2 looks like a sympathetic soul with a bizarre skillset.
Given scenes of Melchoir surrounded by a swarm of rodents in a beach-like setting, it seems Ratcatcher 2 at least makes it to the final battle.
We’re guessing she’ll be one of the lucky few to shave time off her sentence.
Polka-Dot Man
Warner Bros.
Possibly the most out-there addition to the squad is David Dastmalchian’s Polka-Dot Man.
His frankly baffling ability to throw dots and turn them into weapons should make him an easy kill for the first act, but is Polka-Dot Man so batsh*t he’s set to be the movie’s standout?
Polka-Dot Man has been featured in both trailers and channelling some Riddler-esque vibes, so we hope he sticks around until the end to bring the crazy.
The Losers
With The Suicide Squad looking to live up its namesake, there are sure to be plenty of teammates that will join Suicide Squad’s Slipknot, Diablo, and Scott Eastwood’s forgettable GQ Edwards.
Even though not many characters actually died in the original, who’s on the chopping block this time?
Mongal
Warner Bros.
The alien Mongal might be a fearsome foe of Superman, but Mayling Ng’s status as a relative unknown among the rest of the cast should be ringing alarm bells.
Although Ng’s credentials as a black belt martial artist at least hint she’ll kick ass before she kicks the bucket, the trailer might show Mongal’s death scene as her screaming self is seen clinging to an out of control chopper.
Javelin
Warner Bros.
Someone who presumably won’t be winning gold at the Olympics is Flula Borg’s Javelin. As a minor member of DC’s villain lineup, Javelin was a wayward German athlete that turned to a life of crime.
He was killed by a Jeep in the comics, but to be honest, if Javelin isn’t impaled by his own javelin, we’ll be seriously disappointed.
Blackguard
Warner Bros.
Another star poised to be comedic cannon fodder is Pete Davidson’s Blackguard. The Saturday Night Live star is relatively new to acting and told The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon he only took the role of Blackguard because his real name is the crude Dick Hertz.
Couple this with the fact Blackguard usually dies in comedic ways by his own hand, it’s not looking good for Pete.
Weasel
Warner Bros.
Sean Gunn is back in his best mo-cap suit for a revamp of the comic book character Weasel. Although Weasel was an actual man in the comics, Gunn is going down the anthropomorphic route.
King Shark has surely taken up most of the CGI budget, so we’re expecting to see Weasel blown up by Waller or in some sort of minefield accident.
TDK
Warner Bros.
One James Gunn favourite who is probably popping by for a cameo is Nathan Fillion’s TDK. Being a reimagined version of the useless Arm-Fall-Off-Boy has almost certainly doomed this telekinetic twit to an early grave.
There would be an injustice if he wasn’t bludgeoned to death by his own flailing limbs.
Who Even Knows?
This leads to the seemingly throwaway characters that could be offed before they open their mouths or live to the very end.
Captain Boomerang
Warner Bros.
One way to pull a shocker is to kill an original member of the team. The unicorn-loving Captain Boomerang is spinning back into action, but that doesn’t mean Jai Courtney’s obnoxious Aussie is safe.
Remembering that Captain Boomerang has been a mainstay of the comic book Suicide Squad since its inception, killing him is guaranteed to be a divisive move.
We’re imagining Boomerang could lead a doomed team of lower-tier characters and pay the price for being the least interesting of the OG villains.
Rick Flag
Warner Bros.
Another surprise departure could be Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag. Despite Kinnaman promising that the hardened military man will be a very different Flag this time around, he’s hardly a standout character with superpowers.
Yes, Flag may be an integral part of the Suicide Squad comics, and is a sharp-shooting moral compass to ground these miscreants, but since when does that mark you as safe?
Savant
Warner Bros.
Another Gunn alumni lending his talents is Michael Rooker as Savant. The trailers confirm at least some of The Suicide Squad will be told from Savant’s POV, however, is this all misdirection or is Savant’s head going to go pop before we even get out the gate?
He’s a prime candidate for Amanda Waller to show she ain’t messing around.
The Thinker
Warner Bros.
Doctor Who legend Peter Capaldi may seem like he’s playing a DC version of the show’s Davros, but even with a hefty marketing campaign, we’re no closer to figuring out what he’s up to as The Thinker.
The latest trailer has shown Rick and Harley grilling the Thinker at what looks like a late stage. He’s either a last-minute addition when the ranks have dwindled, or he’s the big bad pulling the strings on Starro.
Either way, we’re not sure The Thinker is leaving in one piece.
The Suicide Squad is out in UK cinemas from 30th July. Shop our exclusive The Suicide Squad collection here.
