Warner Bros. has not had the best track record when it comes to expanding its live-action DC cinematic universe (DCEU). One can make the case that the race to catch up to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) took its toll, as well as other controversies related to the Justice League film. That’s not to say they haven’t had successes. Wonder Woman, Shazam and Aquaman were pretty fun and well received movies. However, if Warner Bros. were to begin charting the course going forward, its success might rely on changing things up to keep these movies fresh and interesting to new and returning viewers. Which is why a movie like The Suicide Squad might be just what both the fans and Warner Bros. need in order to break the cycle once and for all.
What Does The Suicide Squad Bring To The Table?
The Suicide Squad can be a plethora things. It can be gruesome. It can be comedic. It can be a great deal more than anyone expects. That’s the great thing about this particular property. In concept, the Suicide Squad (also known as Task Force X) is a band of incarcerated villains that are forced to carry out nigh impossible missions for the government for a chance at reducing their sentences. The concept alone leaves the property very much open to all kinds of visions a director may have for it. Especially since there are many different team members that have been phased in and out of the Suicide Squad throughout its comic book history. In short, a director could theoretically craft a team to fit any genre they desire. This versatile quality of the Suicide Squad’s is what could ultimately be its saving grace in terms of success.
An article by the Daily News attests to the film’s versatility, which delves into the relationship between Idris Elba’s Bloodsport and John Cena’s Peacemaker. From Cena’s description, the two characters appear to be set to clash with each other as teammates, resulting in an “‘alpha-male struggle’” between the two (Daily News, 2021). In addition to that, he goes on to point out that both characters are pretty identical to one another in terms of skill set, save for the personalities each character exhibits (Daily News, 2021). One can look at this relationship as a mere microcosm of the Suicide Squad as a whole, especially when one considers the sheer size of the cast. There is an interesting dynamic between the Peacemaker and Bloodsport from what we’re hearing, without a shadow of a doubt. But now imagine similar dynamics between the host of other actors portraying the other members of the Suicide Squad. There is a lot of potential for an enriching degree of character building in this film, which will hopefully lend itself towards the film’s success. If that wasn’t enough, Idris Elba’s comment on what we can expect from the film also attests to the multifaceted approach James Gunn appears to be taking. Elba says that The Suicide Squad will feature “lots of drama and action moments, but also heart and humor” along with “a new cast [being brought into the] franchise” to further freshen things up (Daily News, 2021).
A Tale In Movie Magic
Depending on the kind of movie you’re making, there are different requirements that need to be met as each project is its own unique creature, so to speak. For The Suicide Squad, one of these requirements was that the actors needed to be kept both sweaty and dirty as one of the sets was a hot jungle climate. Cinemablend writes that one actor in particular, John Cena, needed makeup treatment to simulate sweat interestingly enough. Granted, the actor is in good shape and has an extensive history of physically rigorous roles, it makes sense that he would be in need of the immersive touch up. The application of fake sweat as a practice probably isn’t very much noticeable, but important through and through. Simply for the reason that when you’re in a humid jungle, you sweat. It’s one of those things filmmakers do to make sure the viewer is fully immersed in what they’re seeing, which only adds to the experience. In summation, with all the work that’s going into the movie behind the scenes and without, The Suicde Squad looks like it’ll be a fun summer ride. The Suicide Squad releases in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6th, 2021.