Suicide Squad – Here’s What We Know
The DC Universe is flexing its muscles as of late. Their first foray into a universe that includes other superheroes was Man of Steel. Although Superman was the only superhero introduced, the movie included various Easter eggs to an expanded universe.
Recently, a new trailer for Superman v Batman: Dawn of Justice swept the internet at the same time as the new trailer for Star Wars VII was released. Reaction has been mixed, but with such a hyped movie in which Superman and Batman face-off in a live-action setting, it inevitably leads to love/hate.
The movie from DC that I’m more excited for is Suicide Squad. If you’re scratching your head and wondering what the hell Suicide Squad is and why you should care, that’s why we’re here to give you the background, the story, the cast, and why you’ll be excited about it. Speaking of the cast and crew:
But what about in costume? Behold!
This photo leaves out Jared Leto (The Joker) and Common (Black Manta, maybe). Now that you know who is playing who, just what is the Suicide Squad?
The modern Suicide Squad is an antihero team of incarcerated supervillains who act as deniable assets for the United States government, undertaking high-risk black ops missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences. The group operates out of Belle Reve Penitentiary, under the directorship of Dr. Amanda Waller. The Suicide Squad’s existence helps to explain why many convicted villains in the DC Universe roam free without having heroes tracking them down—until they inevitably attempt or commit another crime.
To my knowledge, The Joker was never part of the Suicide Squad because he a lunatic that can’t be controlled. He is confirmed to be in the film and the world got the first look at The Joker as played by Jared Leto. Let’s just say people aren’t too happy with it.
I have to say that I’m pretty torn about the look of this Joker. The tattoo saying “Damaged” on his forehead makes him look more like a sad kid in the mall, walking into a Hot Topic… not a psychopath trying to kill Batman. But, as with Heath Ledger, I will wait to have an official opinion. With Ledger, all I needed to do is hear his voice over as The Joker in The Dark Knight teaser to convince me. Leto reminds me of a Juggalo or someone who would be a fanboy of the real Joker.
Also released were shots of Will Smith as Deadshot:
So, the Joker and Deadshot have been revealed in their costumes, or at least partial costumes. When you have The Joker present in a movie that’s connected to the new DC Cinematic Universe, they mustn’t forget his arch-nemesis, right?
Yep! Ben Affleck in his Batman gear appeared on set for a cameo or maybe more!
The Suicide Squad has been featured in many mediums before, but not as much as in the CW television show Arrow. Obviously, the team is a bit different from the one in the show, but Arrow does show that the members of the squad do have moments of good with their moments of bad. I believe that this movie — under the direction of David Ayer — will do exactly that.
Let’s take a look at what each member of the team brings to the table:
Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flagg) — Richard Flag was in the original Suicide Squad, a World War II unit. After the war he was a member of Task Force X. He’s an expert in military, Special Forces, guerrilla tactics, strategy, and demolitions Highly trained in both armed and unarmed combat Stealth, surveillance, and infiltration expert
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Killer Croc) — Killer Croc is a fictional supervillain who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Killer Croc’s backstory explains that he was born with a condition resembling epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, a disfiguring skin disorder. However, it is actually a form of regressive atavism, meaning that he has inherited traits of ancestral species of the human race such as reptiles. This condition has been augmented by the presence of a metagene. Consequently, he has several extraordinary physical abilities relating to his endurance, strength, and speed, making him to lift up to level of 20 tons with all his force.
Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang) – George “Digger” Harkness, best known under his alias Captain Boomerang or just Boomerang. Secretly the illegitimate son of an American soldier and an Australian woman, Harkness was raised in an Australian town called Kurrumburra in poverty, during which time he developed great skill in making boomerangs, and in using them as weapons.
Viola Davis (Amanda Waller) — She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein and John Byrne. Despite not possessing any superpowers, she has persistently proven herself a powerful antagonist and sometime-ally of the superheroes of the DC universe, often serving as an antihero.
Will Smith (Deadshot) – Deadshot (Floyd Lawton) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is primarily an enemy of Batman, but sometimes takes the role of an antihero. He has since become a staple member of both the Suicide Squad and Secret Six. He has special abilities of being an expert marksman, and has a cybernetic eye that grants increased accuracy and provides additional mission and target data.
Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn) — The character is a frequent accomplice and girlfriend of Batman’s nemesis the Joker, and is also a close friend of the supervillain Poison Ivy, from whom she gained her immunity to poisons and toxins. She possesses an immunity to most poisons and toxins due to Poison Ivy’s injections, trained in the field of psychiatry, high intelligence, martial arts skills, and total disregard to human life (which is why her and The Joker get along so well).
Cara Delevingne (Enchantress) — Freelance artist June Moone is invited to a costume party at an old castle, and stumbles upon a secret chamber where an unknown magical being (later named as Dzamor) empowers her to fight an evil presence in the castle. Saying the words ‘The Enchantress’ her appearance changes from blonde-haired June to black-haired and costumed Enchantress and defeats a Minotaur creature from a tapestry. Soon after she defeats a monster at Cape Kennedy and a mirage of a demonic creature manipulated by a crook. She has been both a superhero and supervillain. Her abilities include the knowledge and ability to wield various types of magical spells.
Jared Leto (The Joker) — In his comic book appearances, the Joker is portrayed as a criminal mastermind. Introduced as a psychopath with a warped, sadistic sense of humor, the character became a goofy prankster in the late 1950s in response to regulation by the Comics Code Authority, before returning to his darker roots during the early 1970s. As Batman’s nemesis, the Joker has been part of the superhero’s defining story, including the murder of Jason Todd—the second Robin, and Batman’s ward—and the paralysis of Batman’s ally, Barbara Gordon. The Joker has had various origin stories during his over seven decades in publication. The most common story is that he falls into a tank of chemical waste which bleaches his skin white, turns his hair green and his lips bright red; the resulting disfigurement drives him insane. The antithesis of Batman in personality and appearance, the Joker is considered by critics to be his perfect adversary.
Suicide Squad will be released August 5, 2016 in theaters everywhere. 2016 will be a major test to see I the DC Universe can stand up against the Marvel Universe. With a cast like this, and previews of other characters in the DC Universe, I think DC has a chance to take over Marvel since Marvel seems to be nearing the end with Phase 3 beginning very soon.
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Jeff Sorensen is an author, writer and occasional comedian living in Detroit, Michigan. You can look for more of his work on The Huffington Post, UPROXX, BGR and by just looking up his name.
Contact: jeff@socialunderground.com