After the last Suicide Squad movie came out as a muddled mess, pulled apart and reassembled to incoherence in post-production, you’d be forgiven for being less than excited for another take on the DC Comics rogue squadron. But sort-of-sequel sort-of-reboot The Suicide Squad looks set to be a very different beast – weirder, wilder, wackier, and… well, James Gunn-ier. The Guardians Of The Galaxy director knows a thing or two about assembling a gang of comic book ne’er-do-wells (or, only-sometimes-do-wells) on screen, and with his R-rated DC movie he’s combining that talent with his earlier propensity for gonzo nuttiness (see Super and Slither). Bringing back Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang and more, Gunn has also bolstered his new Squad with plenty of fresh arrivals – from the flesh-chomping King Shark, to Idris Elba’s foul-mouthed Bloodsport. Get to know them all in the gloriously OTT trailer here:
If you wanted to know how different Gunn’s take on The Suicide Squad will be, we have two words for you: kaiju starfish. The sight of a giant, colourful sea creature stomping puny humans underfoot is just one brain-sizzling image on display here – elsewhere we get King Shark ripping people in two, Weasel licking a window, and Peter Capaldi with a lightbulb-shaped head. And then there’s the F-bomb-dropping dialogue and conversations around eating beaches of dicks, all set to the sounds of Steely Dan. Welcome back, Mr. Gunn.
Notably, Harley Quinn is at the forefront here – and after Birds Of Prey proved exactly what Robbie could do with Harley on her own terms, it seems like Gunn is having plenty of fun writing for the character. Also making a strong impression here, though, is John Cena’s Peacemaker (of whom Gunn is currently shooting a spin-off show for HBO Max), and Idris Elba as the sardonic Bloodsport – a character that Gunn said he wrote especially for the actor. And we could watch King Shark chomp people down all day. Impressively, too, there’s little plot given away here – with the Squad’s mission remaining largely under wraps.
What is clear is that Gunn has had a ball swapping his Marvel toys for DC – and we’ll get to revel in the chaos of The Suicide Squad later this summer when it arrives on 6 August. Bring on the carnage.