Now that Idris Elba has been announced as replacing Will Smith in The Suicide Squad, fans are eagerly awaiting news of who will comprise the rest of the cast. While no names have been thrown out yet, we do have some character descriptions to go over courtesy of Collider. Just keep in mind that any of these could change if James Gunn goes through a rewrite, but don’t let that stop you from speculating now! Without further ado:
Ratcatcher, whose birth name in the comics is Otis Flannegan, will be a woman in The Suicide Squad. This gender-swapped version of Ratcatcher is an enemy of Batman’s who once worked as a Gotham City exterminator before realizing that crime pays way more. She can communicate with rodents, so she’s got a little army of them under her control like a malevolent version of Ant Man. Apparently Ratcatcher views Deadshot as a surrogate father, so we will see if there is any tension between her and his daughter in this story. Oh, and she loves poisonous gas, so file that away for the future.
Next up is King Shark, whose real name is Nanaue. DCTV fans may know him as a half-shark metahuman who was affected by the particle accelerator, but in this version he is a humanoid shark whose father is known as a Shark God. Most treat him like an aberration, though, which could explain his choice to lead a life of crime.
Polka-Dot Man is another villain from Gotham City and yet another enemy of Batman’s, which is ironic if he’s nowhere to be found in the film. His power consists of turning polka dots that appear on his body into various weapons such as fireballs. Clearly his name is appropriate, but he is nevertheless embarrassed by his particular set of abilities.
Peacemaker, originally named Christopher Smith, is an extreme pacifist who is willing to kill in order to achieve his goal of peacekeeping. Sounds like the excuse a lot of military leaders give, but that’s beside the point. This is the role that Gunn is rumored to want for Dave Bautista, which would be kind of funny given Drax’s character trajectory in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
Some other questions still remain unanswered, such as whether Margot Robbie will return as Harley Quinn yet again? I don’t see a reason for her not to, but perhaps other commitments will reduce the size of her role. According to Hollywood Reporter, it is doubly unclear whether Joel Kinnaman will be in the sequel as Rick Flagg. The Suicide Squad will feel like a very different animal if neither he nor Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller come back, so hopefully we’ll hear about one of them sooner rather than later.
The Suicide Squad will be hitting theaters on August 6th, 2021, so there’s not much time left before filming begins and these mysteries are cleared up. Are you looking forward to this new ragtag group of supervillains? Let us know in the comments below, and check That Hashtag Show for all the latest news about your favorite films.