Unfolding a new page in the comic live-action universe, DC Comics along with Warner Bros. is going whole hog in cashing in on its characters on the big screen. Following the eagerly anticipated Batman v Superman – Dawn of Justice that storms the theatres on 25 March 2016, fans wouldn’t be left longing for more DC protagonists as Suicide Squad makes its debut on 5 August 2016. Helming the Anti-hero squad, David Ayer’s latest spark unveiling the entire Suicide Squad on the web has fueled a fire of curiosity for the band of super-villains also known as Task Force X in the DC Comic Universe.
Here’s the first official image, David Ayer who last directed Brad Pitt starrer, Fury has tweeted of his lead characters.
Power-packed and loaded in their super-villainous costumes we have (from left) Adam Beach as Slipknot, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, Karen Fukuhara down in front as the masked Katana, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Will Smith as Deadshot, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc and Jay Hernandez as El Diablo.
For those who aren’t familiarised with these super-villains, we at AnimationXpress.com throw in a bit of light on these darker characters that have given over the years in the comic books space, our favourite heroes the chance to earn their living.
The birth of Suicide Squad goes back to 1959 when the Super-villain team made their first appearance in Brave and the Bold #25 penned by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. The same series later in the 28th issue also brought the Justice League of America onto the comic strips, which makes only more sense that the comic publisher is rewinding to retell the history and bringing back both Justice League and the Suicide Squad on the big screen.
The Super-villainous members of the Suicide Squad are prisoners of the US Government who have been recruited by a secret US Black Ops agency, A.R.G.U.S to undertake high risk missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences. Acting as deniable assets to A.R.G.U.S, the team’s actions are highly classified, and the government is able to deny any involvement by claiming that they are not responsible for the damages of a random super-villain attack.
Amanda Waller – Commanding the Suicide Squad from the Belle Reve prison, Amanda Waller is a staunch personality highly trained in military tactics, strategic management and espionage. Cynthia Addai-Robinson plays Amanda Waller in the hit TV series, Arrow which has shown the Task Force X in action more than once on the small screen. Unlike Marvel, DC Comics has kept an independent space for the small screen to grow and none of its characters will reprise their roles in the big-screen adaptation of Suicide Squad and so Viola Davis has been roped in to play the Commander in David Ayer’s incarnation of the team.
DeadShot – An important member of the Suicide Squad and the arch enemy of Gotham’s caped crusader, DeadShot is a hired assassin who appeared first in Batman #59 (June/July 1950) and was created by Bob Kane, David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz. The expert marksman boasts super-human precision with his sniper rifle which is aided by the cybernetic eye, which also provides him with additional mission and target data. The upcoming Suicide Squad will see Will Smith don the master assassin mask as Floyd Lawton aka DeadShot. Will Smith’s red body armored costume, strapped with guns coupled with the comic driven mask attached with his glazing cybernetic eye makes him as deadlier as it gets.
SlipKnot – Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Rafael Kayanan, Slipknot made his comic debut in 1984’s Fury of Firestorm #28 where he was eventually imprisoned for attacking Firestorm with his self- created durable ropes. Before being recruited as the member of the Suicide Squad, Christopher Weiss aka Slipknot developed the formula of durable ropes in the chemical factory he worked, thus making him the master of ropes. The character has great history in the Suicide Squad saga and the Canadian actor, Adam Beach will personify the character on screen.
Captain Boomerang – Jai Courtney’s onboarding as Captain Boomerang in Ayer’s Suicide Squad created quite a stir on the web. One of the key villains of the Flash, Captain Boomerang was raised in an Australian town where since youth he mastered the skill of making boomerangs and using them as a deadly weapon. Boomerang’s entry into the DC Comic universe goes back to 1960’s Flash #117. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, Boomerang was eventually recruited as a member of the Suicide Squad in exchange for being pardoned for his crimes. One of the many anticipated things Suicide Squad has to offer will be Courtney’s interpretation of the dangerous, vicious and undependable member of the team.
Enchantress – DC’s super villainess, Enchantress has jumped across the comic strips of Superman, Green Lantern and even Shazam post her debut in 1966’s Strange Adventures #187. Created by writer Bob Haney and artist Howard Purcell, Enchantress beholds the ability to wield various types of magical spells and as a matter of fact magical elements have gloriously been experimented with in the DC Comic universe. The character will be making her live-action cinematic debut in the upcoming 2016 film Suicide Squad portrayed by British actress Cara Delevingne.
Katana – While not all members of the Suicide Squad are classified as vicious, psychotic villains for Katana is DC Comic’s own super heroine making her on-screen debut in Suicide Squad, portrayed by Karen Fukuhara. Penned by writer Mike W. Barr and artist Jim Aparo, Katana first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #200 in 1983 after which the Japanese Samurai received her own solo series in the New 52 titles which lasted for ten issues. After losing her husband to the magical sword, Soultaker Katana wields the Soultaker to fight crime. The sword which was possessed for some time by the soul of her husband becomes her weapon for redemption. Straight out from the comic strip look, Karen’s Katana promises us an exciting Samurai slice in the upcoming tent-pole.
Harley Quinn – If Batman thought that he had his hands full with a psychotic murderer such as the Joker, he would have been wrong, for DC Comics threw in another psychotic, violent and dangerous villainess, Harley Quinn, also the love interest of Joker. Harley Quinn made her first appearance in the DC universe in the episode of Batman: The Animated Series (1992). Created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm the villainess was initially voiced by Hynden Walch and by Tara Strong. The character also made a small screen debut in Birds of Prey television series which was eventually shelved after a 13 episode run. The first official photo of the Suicide Squad has Harley Quinn in her true-to-comic costume played by The Wolf of Wall Street actress, Margot Robbie.
Killer Croc – Another criminal from the books of Gotham, Killer Croc made his debut in 1983’s Batman #357. With a massive reptilian physique, Killer Croc was born with a mutation that makes him look like a giant croc in a man’s skin. Killer Croc has also worked closely with the Joker in terrorizing Gotham and the upcoming Suicide Squad might just play upon those loyalties. With superhuman strength, speed, agility and razor sharp claws and teeth, it would be a sight to see Adewale Akinnuoye- Agbaje in the guise of Killer Croc.
El Diablo – Unpopular to many fans, El Diablo was created by Robert Kanigher and Gray Morrow and debuted in All-Star Western #2 (October 1970). The character has also made appearances in the Jonah Hex comic issues. El Diablo means ‘The Devil’ in Spanish and as per comic legends, Lazarus Lane was revived from a coma after being struck by a lightning by the Wise Owl. Following on those demonic lines, Jay Hernandez’s incarnation of El Diablo stays true with all the tattoos the Suicide Squad image reveals. With not much fame to the character, El Diablo’s presence in the Suicide Squad will be an anticipating arc to see.
Joker – Boiling down to the king of all criminals in DC Comics’ kitty, Jared Leto brings us the Joker back on the big screen. After Heath Ledger’s spectacular performance as the psychotic clown terrorizing Gotham in The Dark Knight, Jared would have a great threshold to beat in convincing fans of his maniacal mannerisms. Nothing apart from a fake photograph of Jared Leto’s Joker has been out on the web so far which has received mixed reactions. However David Ayer has confirmed that the Joker would borrow inspiration from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns mini-series which sees a matured Joker in a white suite, short bright green hair and up to his best maniacal behavior pushing Batman beyond the lines he wouldn’t have ever crossed.
So unraveling some of the unexplored characters from the DC Comic universe, Suicide Squad under David’s wing definitely promises a super-villainous block-buster that wouldn’t let us miss our heroes. (Though Ben Affleck’s Batman might just fly in to tame these folks at the end, or so we hope!).