To a certain degree, the very concept of the Suicide Squad has been a thorn on the heels of the DCEU and Warner Bros. Although its comic run was somewhat solid, cinematically speaking, the brand has not translated well. 2016’s Suicide Squad was critically panned, and fans did not take well to some of the decisions that director David Ayer made in that film. That said, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was a cultural icon, so some good did come out of that movie. Last year’s The Suicide Squad was critically received well but didn’t really connect with fans. James Gunn’s vision was quirky and eclectic, but some felt it was outright silly and did more than what was needed (for example, featuring truly ridiculous villains).
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Rocksteady Gaming Studios, perhaps best known for their stellar Batman Arkham franchise, recently announced that their latest game in the Arkhamverse, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, has been delayed to Spring 2023. The gameplay they debuted last year was met with largely positive reviews, and by the looks of it, Rocksteady has captured the essence of the Suicide Squad, something that has not yet been done on the big screen. So what should Warner Bros. do with this ragtag crew of super villains?
Fan Service?
When it comes to the comics, the Suicide Squad has a relatively big group of fans. The stories featured in their titular comics have immense scope and somehow played into larger DC story arcs, with often significant implications on other characters. Even DC’s animated films understood the vibe of the Suicide Squad. Batman: Assault on Arkham is one such movie where the cabal of supervillains are in peak form. So why does this not translate well in live-action outings? David Ayer reportedly has an “Ayer Cut” that features more concrete storylines and more character development. Still, the true crime of that movie was arguably Enchantress and the way Ayer presented Diablo. Mainstream audiences (and even some die-hard DC fans) aren’t all that familiar with the obscure characters mentioned before, so it’s not astounding that the movie did not connect well-amongst many other reasons – i.e., a criminally underutilized and misunderstood version of the Joker.
When it was announced that James Gunn was taking over the sequel, there seemed to be room for hope. An avid comic book reader, Gunn brought Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy to the front of mainstream chatter and successfully launched that franchise, so it was only natural for him to steer another group of vibrant characters to successful waters. The problem with his iteration was simply the fact that he got far too much creative freedom. The final film had Gunn written all over it – complete with jokes that didn’t really sit well. Visually speaking the film had its moments, but as a whole there was a ton of room for improvement. Gunn, like Ayer before him, once again featured a few characters/villains that no one really cares about (with all the characters available to him, he picks Polka Dot man and Starro?).
Interestingly the film was a critical darling, and it spawned a Peacemaker show, but is this what DC fans and readers really want? Is this what Warner Bros. thinks the Suicide Squad is? If Rocksteady and Warner Bros.’ own animation arm figured them out, what’s stopping their film division from making a truly awesome Suicide Squad movie?
Perhaps a Brand-New Lineup?
DC Comics
The Suicide Squad has had a great lineup over the years from various corners of the DC Universe. Both Ayer and Gunn featured some of the more famous characters as part of their core characters. Villains such as King Shark and Killer Croc are true forces to be reckoned with and are formidable foes to their hero counterparts. That said, their cinematic versions have been less than impressive. Killer Croc was underused in Ayer’s version, and King Shark was given the baby Yoda treatment in Gunn’s iteration of the lineup. These are characters who deserve much more and could really shine if given a strong spotlight, Rocksteady seems to have understood this; King Shark in the game looks to have a killer moveset and looks to be more than just a comical punching bag.
Perhaps it’s time for the films to introduce a new roster of villains? Harley Quinn really tethers the group together, but perhaps their next cinematic adventure could include more prominent characters like Black Manta and Reverse-Flash. These are extremely powerful villains who could bring a sense of gravitas to a movie. On that note, some audiences feel like it’s time to change the tone of how Suicide Squad is represented on screen.
The Matt Reeves Effect
Warner Bros. Pictures
Director Matt Reeves has proved that he truly gets the tone of what a DC film should look and feel like. Some fans have even noted that all DC films moving forward should live in this realm of hyperrealism. What would a Suicide Squad movie look like, set in perhaps Reeves’ DC universe? With the right director/writer attached to the project, a serious Suicide Squad film would undeniably be a knockout experience.
Warner Bros. has historically dropped the ball when it comes to their DC properties. Suicide Squad is definitely one of their bigger mishaps, featuring too many obscure characters and bad writing, this team of super villains deserve better. With the Batman Arkham series of games, Rocksteady undeniably understood the assignment, and with next year’s Kill the Justice League, it looks like they’ll be repeating their success. Two movies in, how can Warner Bros. course correct? Now that the multiverse is about to unravel, audiences could perhaps see different versions of villains that have been used in the past, essentially redeeming them. A choice director could also give the franchise the Matt Reeves treatment and create a film that is grounded and dark with excellent cinematography. In the case of the Suicide Squad, it’s time that Warner Bros stopped trying to emulate the Marvel formula and give the fans what they really want.
