As we mourn the “soulful” and “complex” cut of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad that never was, James Gunn’s here to distract us with his shiny pseudo-sequel to DC’s 2016 misfire. The Guardians Of The Galaxy director retained a handful of the original film’s characters for his “relaunch”—including Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller—while rounding the flick out with a stacked cast that includes Idris Elba, Nathan Fillion, Alice Braga, Taika Waititi, Pete Davidson, Michael Rooker, and David Dastmalchian (playing the iconic Polka-Dot Man). Today, the ne’er-do-wells congregated at DC’s FanDome event to reveal their villainous identities in a new spot that also offers a first look at their portrayals.
Who’s who:
Steve Agee will play King Shark, the Shark God spawn who previously appeared on The Flash with Dan Payne in the role. He’s a big shark, he eats people.
Alice Braga will play Sul Soria, a new character seemingly created for the film.
Flula Borg will play Javelin, a former Olympian who turned his love for throwing spears into a career killing people with them.
Peter Capaldi will play the Thinker, who thinks so hard it hurts people. Neil Sandilands, among others, played the character on season four of The Flash.
John Cena will play Peacemaker, a man who believes the fastest way to world peace is to kill everyone standing in its way.
Jai Courtney also returns as Captain Boomerang, who throws boomerangs.
David Dastmalchian is the Polka-Dot Man, an awkward villain who can turn the polka-dots peppered throughout his body into fireballs and other weapons.
Pete Davidson will play Blackguard, a thug empowered by his suit of armor.
Viola Davis will be back as Amanda Waller, the steel-hearted director of the Suicide Squad.
Nathan Fillion is T.K.D., a character some are theorizing is The Detachable Kid, a variation of Arm-Fall-Off-Boy, who can club people with his own detachable arm.
Sean Gunn will play Weasel, a spurned academic who, as his costumed alter-ego, kills with sharp claws.
Joel Kinnaman is reprising his role as Squad leader Colonel Rick Flag.
Daniela Melchor will play Ratcatcher 2, a gender-swapped version of the Batman villain that can communicate with and train rats.
Mayling Ng will play Mongal, an alien warrior with an impressive bloodline.
Margot Robbie is Harley Quinn, duh.
Michael Rooker will play Savant, a spoiled rich bastard who’s skilled on a computer and a master at blackmail.
During the panel, Gunn described filming The Suicide Squad as “by far the most fun I’ve ever had making a movie.” He also lauded the work of John Ostrander, calling his movie a “sequel” to the artist’s run of Suicide Squad comics that captures their “spirit and the lifeblood.”
You can also get a glimpse of the characters in action in a behind-the-scenes video shared during the panel. Check it out below.
We’re a little less than a year from the movie’s August 6, 2021 release date, which Gunn says has yet to be impacted by COVID-19.