The Suicide Squad

James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, released by Warner Bros. in August 2021, is a sequel to David Ayer’s 2016 film. Although it shares characters and continuity with its predecessor, Gunn wrote and directed a fresh mission for Task Force X. Amanda Waller assembles expendable criminals, sending them to the fictional South American nation of Corto Maltese after a military coup. The opening beach assault deliberately establishes the squad’s grim odds, killing many recruits before the central operation has even begun.

Two teams are deployed: Bloodsport leads one, while Colonel Rick Flag commands the group initially presented as the main unit. Idris Elba plays Bloodsport, a marksman imprisoned after shooting Superman with a kryptonite bullet, an offense repeatedly mentioned in dialogue. John Cena portrays Peacemaker, a fiercely patriotic killer whose devotion to peace becomes an intentionally grotesque contradiction throughout the mission. Other principal members include Harley Quinn, Nanaue the sharklike King Shark, the anthropomorphic Weasel, Ratcatcher 2, and the alien Thinker.

The mission’s stated objective is destroying Project Starfish, a secret experiment at Jötunheim, a Nazi-era prison and laboratory complex. At its center is Starro the Conqueror, an extraterrestrial starfish capable of controlling hosts through organisms attached to their faces. Corto Maltese’s regime secretly wants the United States to remain ignorant of Jötunheim, because the project could expose American involvement. The screenplay balances violence with absurd comedy, but its emotional core comes from prisoners choosing loyalty despite coercion and death.

Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn, whose escape from General Mateo Suárez provides a subplot before she rejoins the conflict. Sylvester Stallone voices King Shark, while Gunn’s brother Sean Gunn performs Weasel through capture and appears as Calendar Man. The ensemble includes Viola Davis as Waller, Joel Kinnaman as Flag, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2, and Capaldi as Thinker.

Production began after Gunn’s removal from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and he drew inspiration from films and comics. Filming took place primarily in Atlanta and Panama, with practical locations and extensive creature effects supporting the story’s tactile battlefield. The production used a beach for the opening sequence, while visual effects created Starro, the alien parasites, and destructive pieces.

Unlike Ayer’s film, Gunn’s version earned an R rating for strong violence, gore, language, drug use, and brief graphic nudity. It received generally positive reviews, especially for its direction, humor, action design, ensemble performances, and willingness to kill major characters.