With all the hub-bub surrounding what’s happening with Disney+ and the MCU, and Joker getting tons of Oscar buzz, seeing what’s coming around the horizon in superhero cinema past next year is getting harder and harder, as crowded as the landscape is. But my friends, do not forget in 2021, James Gunn is releasing The Suicide Squad and presumably rectifying just what went wrong in the initial 2016 David Ayer outing. And after months of reporting rumors and possible casting, Gunn has revealed the full cast! In one tweet!
Don’t get too attached. #TheSuicideSquad pic.twitter.com/uITPhrDzz2
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) September 13, 2019
Look at that cast! Look at that logo!! That might be the most exciting bit, as somebody who is deathly attached to the John Ostrander/Kim Yale/Luke McDonnell days and is as hardcore a Copra reader as you’re gonna find.
According to the Producer of the film, Peter Safran, while it involves some returning cast members like Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller (I’m so glad we didn’t lose the best possible Amanda Waller), the film is intended to be a soft reboot. And as you can see, that meat-grinder, “nobody is safe” element from those old comics is very present here with Gunn providing a clear warning for those who are quick to latch onto their favorites.
There hasn’t been much reporting regarding who is playing who here. We know that Idris Elba was originally going to play Deadshot, but then that was walked back for a new character, with Storm Reid playing his daughter. David Dastmalchian is the Polka-Dot Man and Daniela Melchior is Ratcatcher, and there had been talk that John Cena was lining up to play Peacemaker. Steve Agee is also providing the voice of King Shark….so there’s just an open question about who else might pop up. Your guess is as good as mine, but holy cow what an exciting way to release a cast list! I don’t think Taika’s gonna last too long though.
The Suicide Squad, Gunn’s first foray into the DC side of things after two MCU films, a big controversy and then an eventual reconciliation with the studio, might prove to be a bit of an interlude. Or maybe it’s the start of a filmmaker bridging the gap a little bit between these two superhero movie behemoths. Either way, this is the most exciting DC on film development in quite some time, and it’s only a font choice really! I can’t wait to see an actual promo image.
The Suicide Squad will be in theaters on August 6, 2021.
