Suicide Squad is one of the most anticipated movies for DC. And while some reviews are already coming out to say otherwise, let’s cross our fingers and toes and hope that it’s a lot better than the last DC movie-gone-wrong.
After all, there’s the supposed promise that Suicide Squad is set to change people’s minds about where DC is going with its string of movies so far. And what we’ve seen from trailers and soundtracks to stills and cast interviews, this still looks to be the case.
Before you go to the big screen, check out these little hints, secrets, not-so-secret cameos, and new details that the Suicide Squad cast and crew have in store in the movie. Let’s hope that the hype lives up as a hit.
Batman’s Role
It’s no secret that Batfleck’s Batman was not the most well-received versions. From spawns of Sadfleck memes to the fiasco that was Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the critics haven’t been subtle or as easy on the guy.
But it seems that things are looking a lot better this time for Batman. And while it’s sticking to a grimmer, grittier approach thanks to his supposed darker role from the point of view of the Squad, maybe the movie will serve as a bridge to transition us from Batfleck to the promising Batman that he is in that Justice League trailer.
Christopher Nolan’s take on The Dark Knight trilogy and Christian Bale’s portrayal of the Caped Crusader still remain the standard. But that’s because I haven’t seen the movie yet. And if the hype is real, then I’m very open for a change of mind.
The Flash’s Cameo
Oh, The Flash. Ezra Miller’s rendition of the Speedster has been caught in a whirlwind of pleasant oohs and ahhs. Previously, some fans have been divided because they felt that Grant Gustin was “The Flash,” and that he should also play the role in the movie.
Miller managed to surprise people in the Justice League trailer—that “I need…friends” line is one of the reasons I keep hitting replay. And it seems that he’s not yet done. Following fan speculation, it has already been confirmed that The Flash will be in Suicide Squad.
For how brief, we don’t really know. As far as the SDCC 2016 trailer goes, the only clue that he was ever there was the bolt of lightning. Jai Courtney, who plays Captain Boomerang, should have shared the scene with him and even he was surprised by the cameo. Let’s just see if his appearance is more than just a literal “flash.”
Enchantress’ Transformation
People have been calling it the scene that sold the movie to a lot of people. Who could forget that Enchantress clip, where the human June Moone “held hands” with the Enchantress before she transformed into the unearthly supervillain.
And that transformation wasn’t even shown in full. I can only imagine how she will turn into the full Enchantress, sans the muddy look and instead sporting all the power and might of the evil entity.
Real-life Action from Rick Flag
Rick Flag is the real-guy touch in Suicide Squad. He’s an army man who seems like the beacon of hope in the otherwise motley crew. Actor Joel Kinnaman who plays the military man role shared with Toronto Sun that the cast did get in touch with their inner fighters, because the scenes mimic real-life action sequences instead of relying mostly on CG.
"I love when it’s real action. It bores me to watch a city get demolished in CG."
From that statement, I guess we can expect more realistic action sequences in the fight scenes in Suicide Squad. Of course, while Kinnaman did not do all of his stunts himself, the movie reportedly went for the same effect and feel as the Mad Max reboot.
Katana’s Martial Art Moves
Japanese-American Karen Fukuhara plays the role of Katana, the bodyguard of military man Rick Flag. While Katana looks very badass on-screen, the actress who plays the role is just as badass herself.
In an interview with Yahoo! Movies, Fukuhara revealed that she was happy when she landed her role as Katana. Not only did this mark her debut in feature films internationally, it also landed her a strong female character in Hollywood.
“She’s so badass. I loved player her and doing the action scenes. I used to do karate, so I loved the… fight sequences and working with the stunt team.”
Seeing as how there’s more to Suicide Squad than just CGI for stunts and effects, it looks like we’ll be seeing a lot of cool and diverse moves from the trigger-happy and usual punches of action/superhero movies.
Captain Boomerang’s Supposed ‘Shrooms
Every actor probably has his own unique way of getting into character. But it seems that the Suicide Squad gang did more than most. For Captain Boomerang actor Jai Courtney, it involved self-harm and some magic ‘shrooms to get into the crazy head of The Flash’s most prominent enemy.
According to The Guardian, Courtney had been told to get into the crazy mind of his role. And that meant experimenting with drug use and self-harm via cigarette burns.
He wasn’t the only one who had to do some intense characterization. There’s even one anecdote from the team that Jared Leto got too far into his role as the Joker that he gave gifts of a dead pig and a live rat to his co-stars.
Talk about internalization. It’s no wonder there’s an on-set therapist during the filming of Suicide Squad.
Killer Croc’s Beauty
One look at the crocodile man and you know you won’t be using “beautiful” as an adjective.
However, Suicide Squad is going for a deeper, childhood trauma-related approach to Killer Croc’s characterization. Screenrant reported that the movie will delve into the human side, specifically how the abuse he suffered and the reptilian DNA alternation had basically twisted his view of the world.
So don’t get surprised by his “I’m beautiful” statement—it actually hides an inner pain inside. Though I’m not looking to go all Freudian with Killer Croc, it would be nice to get into the dark side of his mind even for a moment or two to see how sees his “beauty.”
Harley Quinn—Enough Said
Margot Robbie has been the darling of Suicide Squad since it was first teased. From the baseball-toting badass in pigtails to her controversial shrinking shorts for the Comic-Con trailer, there’s a lot of talk about Mr. J’s sidekick and love interest, Harley Quinn.
While we don’t see her in the trademark red and black jester costume, her Suicide Squad costume was apparently inspired by a 70s rock band singer Debbie Harry of Blondie.
Personally, I’m not a fan of her outfit either, and not because of the overly sexualized take on Harley Quinn. It’s the punk look that feels a little too forced—Harley has always looked the part of the innocent outside, deranged inside gal. Let’s hope she got the Mad Doc’s psychological issues down pat.
Deadshot Becomes Thug Prince
On-cam, Deadshot is the gun-for-hire you would not want to mess with. Off-screen while on the set, it seems that much of the camaraderie among the Suicide Squad cast is partly thanks to Will Smith.
Funnily enough, he is the eldest among the entire squad in his 40s, so Smith tasked himself to make sure that the squad becomes family. In an interview with News.com.au, the cast members shared that Smith had wanted to make sure that the environment on the set was fun, since the shooting was already grueling to begin with.
Recalling the time when Smith even threw a party for the cast and crew, Jay Hernandez added that Smith even sang.
“He got jiggy wit it.”
As Deadshot though, we see a more intimidating Will Smith. Whether or not he lives up to half the threats that he’s doled out in the trailers, let’s wait and see for the movie.
Amanda Waller’s One-Liners
Okay, maybe this one is a bias for myself. But when you look back at all of the (hundred) trailers released so far for Suicide Squad, Amanda Waller has got to be my favorite when it comes to doling out The Perfect Line.
Having a poker face while saying lines like “Go Get it, girl!” to Enchantress and “Why don’t we have some fun?” made me realize why exactly she was in control of all these heathen-heroes. And who exactly was the scariest of all these villains.
Hopefully the trailers haven’t shown all of these Waller’s Words of Wisdom yet, because I’m looking forward to more.
The New Take on Joker
Jared Leto’s Joker has been gaining much traction and attention. While a lot of fans are still vehement about the fact that Heath Ledger’s Joker is irreplaceable in terms of pure psychotic-craziness (am just as guilty here), it’s time to give Leto’s Joker a chance.
After all, his Method Acting has been in headlines everywhere. From sending his co-stars “Joker” gifts to asking the entire cast and crew to call him Mr. J on the set, I guess his dedication is palpable. Whether or not it translates to the actual role and stands a chance to make us see another Joker besides the “Why so serious?” legacy remains to be seen.
In the meantime, check out this neat gift that Leto sent to Jimmy Fallon. It’s supposedly thanks to The Joker being a big giver of gifts. You can see just how wary Fallon—and for good measure, there’s a snake inside and it moves very quickly for comfort, too.
Diablo’s Intense Tattoos
Diablo’s actual powers is pyrokinesis, which is manipulating fire. However, the more intriguing aspect of his character are his tattoos.
Actor Jay Hernandez shared with AM New York that the process of putting those tattoos took hours. In the beginning, they needed five hours to put on the tattoos, so he had to be the first one to arrive during shooting.
Thankfully, Diablo must’ve had some intense makeup artists, as they were able to put it on for just two hours every day. Still, he never once considered getting the actual tats inked on himself.
“No, face tattoos are never a good idea. Ask [Mike] Tyson.”
The Awesome Soundtrack
When the Suicide Squad Comic-Con 2016 trailer was released, there was as remix version that featured some of the awesome songs in the soundtrack.
These include “Sucker for Pain” from Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, and Imagine Dragons, “Heathens” from Twenty One Pilots, Skrillex’s “Purple Lamborghini” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” Panic! At the Disco.
Oh, and did we mention that Eminem’s “Without Me” will also be on there? Yes, yes it will.
The Comedy in the Cast
Compared to the rather grim and gritty Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it seems that DC is taking on a more lighthearted route with Suicide Squad.
Many have compared this approach with the Deadpool take—self-aware and humorous, a surprise hit with fans—though director David Ayer has already debunked the theory that scenes were reshot to accommodate the humor.
Most of the trailers have shown the gang having a fun time being bad. Let’s just hope that the humor it has fits the bill with the bad guys.
The Clever Easter Eggs
Thanks to the many trailers that we’ve seen so far, eagle-eyed fans have seen a couple of Easter Eggs even before the movie launched.
From the many stories behind The Joker’s tattoos—supposedly canon, as per director David Ayer—to the John Ostrander Easter Egg, there’s a lot of teasers surrounding the trailers. My favorite would have to be Comicbook.com’s sighting of Harley Quinn’s original jester suit in one of the shots.
(Reddit/eobardthawne42)
The folded piece of cloth was not much to look at. Until one fan, Reddit poster eobardthawne42, had zoomed in on it to reveal that it was, indeed, a red, black, and white fabric reminiscent of the Mad Love look. Check out the other zoomed-in shot above to better see the jester costume.