‘The Suicide Squad’ First Look: James Gunn Unveils Explosive Set Footage From ‘Gritty 1970s War Movie’

Zack Sharf
·3 min read

James Gunn is beloved among superhero movie fans for directing “Guardians of the Galaxy” and its “Vol. 2” sequel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he’s jumping ship temporarily to the DC Extended Universe for the upcoming “The Suicide Squad.” Gunn attended today’s virtual DC FanDome convention alongside his cast members such as Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney, and Viola Davis, among others, to debut first-look images and footage from his latest comic-book tentpole. The movie is billed as a gritty 1970s war movie combined with Gunn’s comedic sensibilities.

“The Suicide Squad” is a standalone sequel to David Ayer’s 2016 movie “Suicide Squad,” which is memorable for introducing Robbie’s fan-favorite turn as Harley Quinn. While Ayer’s “Suicide Squad” was a box-office blockbuster that earned more than $740 million worldwide, the film received critical pans across the board, and was one of the worst-reviewed films of 2016. While Gunn is carrying over some of the same characters from Ayer’s “Suicide Squad” (Robbie’s Harley, Courtney’s Boomerang, Davis’ Amanda Waller, and Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag), he’s expected to start from scratch when it comes to story and tone. New cast additions include Elba, Nathan Fillon, John Cena, Storm Reid, Alice Braga, Pete Davidson, Daniela Melchior, and more.

Gunn’s journey to “The Suicide Squad” was an unexpected one. The director was in the middle of developing his third “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie when Marvel parent company Disney severed ties with him over controversial jokes he made on Twitter in the past. Gunn’s firing notably generated backlash from his “Guardians” cast, who all campaigned on social media to have him rehired. Disney would later agree to bring Gunn back for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” but in the interim he struck a deal with Warner Bros. to helm “The Suicide Squad.” Marvel was open to allowing Gunn to finish “Suicide Squad” before re-starting “Guardians” pre-production.

Warner Bros. is set to release “The Suicide Squad” in theaters nationwide August 6, 2021. Check out the complete cast rundown and first looks in the teaser below.

Viola Davis: Amanda Waller
Joel Kinnamen: Rick Flag
Michal Rooker: Savant
Flula Borg: Javelin
Margot Robbie: Harley Quinn
David Dastmalchian: Polka Dot Man
Daniela Melchior: Ratchater 2
Idris Elba: Bloodsport
Mayling Ng: Mongal
Peter Capaldi: Thinker
Alice Braga: Solsoria
Pete Davidson : Blackguard
Nathan Fillon: T.D.K
John Cena: Peacemaker
Sean Gunn: Weasel
Jai Courtney: Boomerang

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