The Suicide Squad (2021)
- James Gunn originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
- The original script for The Suicide Squad was written over a decade before production finally began in 2021.
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing James Gunn's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
The Suicide Squad is a 2021 American superhero film written and directed by James Gunn, a standalone sequel/soft reboot of the 2016 Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller, played by Viola Davis, assembles two teams of expendable supervillains from Belle Reve prison for a black ops mission to infiltrate the island nation of Corto Maltese and destroy a secret Cold War-era experiment called Project Starfish before the new anti-American regime can weaponize it. The sprawling ensemble cast includes Idris Elba as Bloodsport, John Cena as Peacemaker, Margot Robbie returning as Harley Quinn, David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2, and Sylvester Stallone as the voice of King Shark.
James Gunn brought his Guardians of the Galaxy sensibility β irreverent humor, genuine emotional stakes, a killer soundtrack, and lovingly developed misfit characters β to DC's darkest property, creating a film that was simultaneously the most violent and the most heartfelt entry in the DCEU. The opening sequence, which brutally dispatched most of Team 1 within minutes, established that no character was safe and that Gunn would honor the Suicide Squad concept's fundamental promise: these missions are suicide. Margot Robbie's extended solo sequence, fighting her way out of a Corto Maltese prison in a flower-print dress, was one of the most inventively choreographed action scenes of the year.
The Suicide Squad earned $167 million worldwide, underperforming commercially due to simultaneous HBO Max streaming but earning widespread critical acclaim.
