There has been an abundance of DC news lately, not least of which was the casting announcement of the upcoming “Suicide Squad” soft reboot and standalone sequel. Directed by James Gunn, best known for his direction in Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “The Suicide Squad” is slated to release in August 2021.
Back in September 2019, James Gunn tweeted a photo with the names of the star-studded cast of the new movie. Joining “Suicide Squad” veterans Margot Robbie, Viola Davis and Jai Courtney are John Cena, Taika Waititi and many more.
When the movie was first announced, many fans were skeptical, wondering why they would make a sequel to a rather bad film, i.e. 2016’s “Suicide Squad.” They became less worried, however, when they found out James Gunn was going to helm the film, as he has directed great ensemble films in the past.
It has been a year since the film’s cast was announced. Many have been speculating about who will play which DC Comics villain, aside from those who are returning from the first film.
It wasn’t until DC Fandome, DC Comics’ first-ever 24-hour virtual convention, which took place from Aug. 22 to 23, that fans were finally able to find out who the new recruits of the Suicide Squad were.
For those unfamiliar with the Suicide Squad or its comics, they are a government-created team of incarcerated supervillains who are put to the task of accomplishing near-impossible missions — hence the “Suicide” in the name — in exchange for parole or reduced sentences. All of the members are expendable and are usually not expected to survive; each member has an explosive device put in their necks in case they go rogue or try to stray from the mission.
With that being said, it is obvious that not every member will be coming out of “The Suicide Squad” alive. Let’s delve in and predict who will survive based on their abilities and their importance.
Harley Quinn — Survives
First off is Harley Quinn, or Harleen Quinzel. Isn’t it obvious? Of course she’ll survive.
Played by the incomparable Margot Robbie, Quinn was one of the highlights of 2016’s “Suicide Squad.” While she doesn’t have any extraordinary powers, Quinn is equipped with a weapon — typically a baseball bat or a giant mallet — and her psychopathic tendencies.
After the release of the first “Suicide Squad,” Quinn became an iconic character for many — I mean, did you see how many people cosplayed as her for Comic-Con? She also went on to star in the Harley Quinn-centered movie, “Birds of Prey.” It is unlikely that Warner Bros. and DC Comics would want to part ways with Robbie, as she exudes the charisma and personality of Harley Quinn.
Blackguard — Dies
“Saturday Night Live” cast member Pete Davidson was announced to be playing Richard Hertz, otherwise known as Blackguard.
There is not much information on the character because he is not that significant in the comic books. It seems that the film will be straying away from his comic book counterpart, as the film teaser shows Blackguard sporting handguns, whereas, in the comic books, he can create a mace through an energy force.
The character was in an incarnation of the Suicide Squad in the comics, though he got murdered.
Davidson was announced to only have a small part in the film, so fans will not be seeing much of Blackguard in “The Suicide Squad.”
Captain Boomerang — Survives
Also returning from 2016’s “Suicide Squad” is George “Digger” Harkness, better known by his supervillain alias, Captain Boomerang.
As his name suggests, Captain Boomerang wields … boomerangs. While he may sound lame, the character has been a recurring villain for The Flash, becoming a key member of the hero’s rogues gallery.
Played by Jai Courtney, known for his roles in “Divergent” and “Terminator Genisys,” Boomerang is one of the better characters in the Suicide Squad, due to his unhinged behavior and drunken humor.
Boomerang has also been a returning member in the Suicide Squad comic books, so he will likely survive the Squad’s next mission.
TDK — Dies
When “The Suicide Squad” teaser came out, I was confused as to who Nathan Fillion’s character, TDK, was. It seems like I was not alone.
It was later found out that TDK was based on an established DC Comics character, Arm Fall Off Boy. His name means exactly what it sounds like: He has the ridiculous ability to detach his arms and beat his enemies with them.
For that alone, TDK is obviously going to die.
Bloodsport — Survives
Fans were excited to see movie star Idris Elba joining the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Many suspected Elba of replacing Will Smith, the star of the first “Suicide Squad,” as Deadshot. This is not the case, however, as it was announced that Elba will be playing the character Bloodsport.
During Gunn’s panel at DC Fandome, the director announced that Elba’s character was incarcerated for shooting Superman with a Kryptonite bullet. Even if you are not a comic book fan, you probably know that Kryptonite is the one material that could kill the mighty superhero.
Bloodsport’s circumstances of being put into the Squad are enough to suggest that the character will be a dangerous one. Plus, considering Elba is one of the biggest actors working today, the studio will likely want him to return in a possible future “Suicide Squad” film.
Weasel — Dies
What’s a comic book film without a weird, anthropomorphic creature? Gunn found success in bringing Rocket Raccoon and Groot to life in his “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies, but it was a bit surprising for him to bring yet another strange talking animal — in this case, the character of Weasel — to “The Suicide Squad.”
If you have not seen the teaser yet, please do so now. Tell me Weasel is not one of the scariest things you have ever seen.
In the comic books, Weasel was a lonely college student who started costuming himself in a weasel suit and, using his agility and combat skills, killed people at his school.
It seems that Gunn changed the character a bit for his film, as it looks like Weasel is not a costumed man but more like a half-man, half-weasel.
There are not many reasons, if any at all, as to why a walking, talking weasel would survive a high-stakes mission, so the character may be a goner.
The Thinker — Survives
“Doctor Who” alum Peter Capaldi has also signed on to the “Suicide Squad” sequel, playing the villain The Thinker.
Equipped with a thinking cap, The Thinker has the abilities of telekinesis and mind control. He was shown to be a big threat when he was featured in the television show “The Flash,” where he was able to transfer his consciousness into other bodies.
Because of Calpaldi’s status as an actor and The Thinker’s unique abilities compared to the rest of the Squad members, the character may be making it out of whatever the team will be facing in the 2021 film.
Mongal — Dies
In DC Comics lore, Mongal is a minor character and an enemy of Superman. Not much is known about her other than that she is an alien with superhuman strength, speed, durability, stamina and agility.
While Gunn may flesh out the character in his film, Mongal may only be showcased as a juggernaut right before being killed.
Polka-Dot Man — Survives
Abner Krill, or Polka-Dot Man, possesses high-tech weaponry in the form of polka dots that surround his supersuit. For instance, one colored polka dot may be an explosive projectile.
Reading his name alone may lead you to think, “Yeah, this guy is definitely dying.” But here is why I think he won’t. Along with the film’s teaser, Gunn gave DC Fandomegoers a behind-the-scenes video made during production. In many clips is David Dastmalchian playing the aforementioned supervillain, leading me to believe that he may have a large role in the film, even though he is a silly, gimmicky character.
Ratcatcher 2 — Dies
Up-and-coming actress Daniela Melchior plays Ratcatcher 2, presumably a second iteration of the original DC Comics villain Ratcatcher.
If she is anything like the original Ratcatcher, she will have the ability to control an army of rats. Yep, that’s it.
Because of her strange, almost useless abilities, it seems to me that Ratcatcher 2 will not be coming out of “The Suicide Squad” alive. It should also be noted that, since there’s the “2” in her name, there is likely a Ratcatcher 1 in this universe. Perhaps the original Ratcatcher of this universe doesn’t like that his or her identity is being ripped off by another person, so they kill the copycat.
Peacemaker — Survives
Described by actor John Cena as a “douchey Captain America,” Peacemaker is portrayed in the comic book as a ruthless killer who wants to achieve peace by any means, even if it includes murder.
The character’s motives pose an interesting plot point, as most of the Squad are villains who kill just for fun or for their own gain. In the case of Peacemaker, he goes to the extremes for a “good” cause.
John Cena is also an A-list celebrity. DC will probably not want to lose a big star like Cena in his first comic book role, and decide to keep him alive for a possible future in the DCEU.
Savant — Dies
Savant is shown in the comic books as a vigilante, but after discouragement from Batman himself, the villain used his skills as a computer hacker to create a business in blackmailing.
In one comic book plotline, Savant became forgetful, only remembering events in a nonlinear order. This could be quite a humorous plot for Gunn to use to kill off the character.
Rick Flag — Survives
Rick Flag, played by Joel Kinnaman, is another character from the original “Suicide Squad” film. Shown as the militaristic leader of the Suicide Squad, he strays from the rest of the group in that he is not a villain.
The Suicide Squad needs a character that tempers the villainous aspect of the group, and that is who Flag is. Without him, the team would create even more chaos. With that being said, I do not see Rick Flag leaving the Squad anytime soon.
Sol Soria — Dies
Not much is known about Sol Soria since she is an original character made specifically for the upcoming “Suicide Squad” movie. The only thing fans know as of yet is that she is a South American rebel and ally to the Squad.
If I were to guess, I’d say Soria may serve as a love interest to Flag before dying somewhere in the second act, giving Flag more motivation to complete the mission.
King Shark — Survives
King Shark is exactly who you think he is. He’s a metahuman with sharklike appearance and abilities.
Most incarnations in comic books and animated films have shown the character to be a ferocious monster. However, in recent years, particularly in the “Harley Quinn” animated series and the upcoming “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League” video game, King Shark was and has been mostly comic relief.
Providing the motion capture and voice to King Shark is comedian and actor Steve Agee, and given his friendly-looking persona in “The Suicide Squad” teaser, it is likely that the character will be a humorous one.
Because he is getting more exposure — due to the aforementioned animated series and video game — more people will come to know and love King Shark, meaning that DC may want to capitalize on the character’s potential popularity.
Javelin — Dies
Last on the list is Javelin, played by comedian and actor Flula Borg.
Like many characters on this list, his name perfectly explains his ability: He can throw a javelin well. And … that’s about it. There are not many interesting facts about the character as he is very minor in the DC universe, meaning he may be dying in the next installment of “The Suicide Squad.”
These predictions may be right, or they may be wrong. Nonetheless, it will be exciting to see what James Gunn brings to the DCEU. With both old and new characters and a new storyline, fans should be looking forward to seeing how well “The Suicide Squad” compares to its predecessor.
