James Gunn's 'The Suicide Squad' hits theaters and HBO Max on Aug. 6, and in the latest episode of Heat Vision Breakdown, The Hollywood Reporter is running down its cast of characters.
00:00James Gunn, the guy who made a talking raccoon and a walking tree popular worldwide, is ready to do it again,
00:05taking unknown comic book characters and blasting them to superstardom.
00:09But we're not talking about the Guardians.
00:11This time, the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker is setting his sights on DC with another group of misfits, the Suicide Squad.
00:21The Suicide Squad, not to be confused with the 2016 film, isn't a sequel and not really a reboot either.
00:27Aside from a few familiar characters, aka Margot Robbie kicking ass as Harley Quinn, Joel Kinnaman taking names as Rick Flagg, and Jai Courtney's notorious Captain Boomerang,
00:36the film is a standalone and introduces a whole new world of its own.
00:39Now, while we're all familiar with the antics of Harley Quinn and some of the gang, as the Suicide Squad hits theaters and HBO Max,
00:45it's time to take a look at some of the other major characters you may not be familiar with.
00:49And they're about to break out in a big way.
00:51We're all gonna die.
00:54I hope so.
00:55Oh, for f***s sake.
00:57First up, we have Bloodsport, played by Idris Elba.
00:59The character debuted in the comics in 1987 as a Superman nemesis.
01:03Robert Dubois was a Vietnam veteran manipulated by Lex Luthor into trying to assassinate Superman.
01:08In the movie, it's established that he's in prison for shooting the Man of Steel with a kryptonite bullet.
01:13Bloodsport is a master marksman and a fighter forced into helping the Suicide Squad
01:16when Amanda Waller, played by Viola Davis in the film, threatens his daughter with prison time.
01:21Next up, we have Peacemaker, played by John Cena.
01:32Peacemaker first appeared in a 1966 comic published by Charlton Comics, which was later acquired by DC.
01:37The character of Christopher Smith is a man who HBO Max says believes in peace at any cost, no matter how many people he has to kill to get it.
01:44He's sort of like Captain America, if Captain America were, you know, like a really horrible person.
01:49I cherish peace with all my heart. I don't care how many men, women, and children I need to kill to get it.
01:55I thought you were the crazy one.
01:57I am.
01:58Now, get ready for a lot more Peacemaker.
02:00James Gunn has also created a show for HBO Max, starring Cena as the antihero.
02:04Then we have Polka Dot Man, played by David Dutz-Mulchan.
02:07Now, we're getting into true Gunn territory with a bizarre choice for a comic book movie.
02:12Polka Dot Man debuted in 1962's Detective Comics.
02:14Abner Krill was a low-level crook who tried to make a name for himself with spot-themed crimes and a costume that included some, uh, choice gimmicks.
02:23Gunn leans into the D-list nature of this comic book character, crafting a surprisingly touching portrait of a man who has never lived up to his own potential.
02:30Anne wrote the part particularly for the actor, a longtime friend of his.
02:33Next, we have Ratcatcher 2, played by Daniela Melchior.
02:36The daughter of the original Ratcatcher, who debuted in 1988 as a Batman villain,
02:40Ratcatcher 2 uses a machine invented by her father to control, you guessed it, rats.
02:45In the film, three real-life rats played the role of Sebastian, including one named Crisp Rat.
02:51Sound familiar?
02:52It's just a metaphor, dude.
02:53Portuguese actor Daniela Melchior gives a star-making performance in The Suicide Squad,
02:57even though after first meeting Gunn, thought she was not right for the part.
03:01An excellent audition, though, changed his mind.
03:03And finally, we have King Shark, voiced by Sylvester Stallone.
03:07Ah, King Shark, The Suicide Squad's answer to Groot.
03:10Originally a Superboy villain, King Shark has gone on to become one of Aquaman's villains.
03:14And he's exactly what he sounds like, a giant shark who can kind of talk.
03:19Hand?
03:20Yes, that is your hand. Very good.
03:23He first appeared in the comics in 1994 and is the son of a shark who is thought to be a god.
03:28In the movie, he's played by Steve Agee, with Stallone adding his voice later.
03:32But we're just scratching the surface here, rounding out The Suicide Squad is Pete Davidson's Blackguard,
03:36Nathan Fillion's TDK, Michael Rooker's Savant, and some guy named Weasel.
03:41The goal? Try to save the world and get out of prison early.
03:44The Suicide Squad arrives August 6th in theaters and on HBO Max.
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