Once upon a time, I came on this very website and proclaimed my undying love for the DC movie, Suicide Squad… before it was released that is. But that trailer though, it looked incredible. It looked like DC was trying to slap together a team that could rival the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy and they used Bohemian Rhapsody to do it. There’s no easier way to sucker me into something than by using awesome Queen songs. It’s like asking me over for dinner and then saying you’re having tacos. I’m in. I’m always in. Hindsight can be 20/20 but let’s be honest with ourselves here, the trailer for Suicide Squad slapped. It hit all the right notes. Sure, the Joker had far too many tattoos but the tone seemed sort of refreshing and different than the current DCEU. Suicide Squad seemed like it was going to be a blast so I had zero problems spending my adult dollars on pre-ordering Funko items and t-shirts before the film’s release. There was no way this movie was going to let me down. Nope.
Oh, you child of summer you.
Now, remember, this was still at the start of the DCEU and Batman vs Superman had just been released, and well, yeah the less we talk about that the better, but there was this foolish sense of hope that DC could put out a good comic book movie. Suicide Squad certainly seemed to be that movie with David Ayer at the helm. David Ayer gave us End of Watch (criminally underrated), Training Day, and Fury. I love all three of those movies even if I’m incapable of watching End of Watch more than twice because it makes my heart hurt. Yada, yada, yada, Warner Brothers was a bit miffed about how poorly BvS did, got heavily involved in the editing process, and the movie we saw was not the movie that was made. If that makes sense. I know, I know, typical DC/WB nonsense.
Now, I would love to see the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad but after the Snyder Cut, I agree with Warner Bros wanting to move forward from this DCEU entirely. I’ve argued this before, but by going backward and giving us these “original” cuts of these films it doesn’t allow the current DC Universe to move forward. It just creates a mess where fan voices become more toxic and toxic. DC should never have given into the Release the Snyder Cut movement but alas here we are.
None of this is the point. The point is, DC is finally looking to cash in on the promise of the original Suicide Squad trailer by giving us a DC team that’s on par with the Guardians of the Galaxy. And while the elements of the teams are different, Guardians is about a group of misfits coming together to form a family and the Suicide Squad is a group of villain forced to do shady government work or their heads will explode (#oversimplification), the atmosphere and weirdness are the same. And what better way for DC to re-introduce the Suicide Squad than by bringing in James Gunn, writer/director of Guardians of the Galaxy.
Everything about this trailer is refreshing, especially coming off the Snyder Cut. I said it during DC Fandome and I’ll say it again here but King Shark is my dude. This guy is poised to win the summer and I want all King Shark-related Funko items sent to my residence immediately. Then throw in the fact that he’s voiced by none other than Sylvester Stallone and I’m willing to have the argument of who the better Stallone character is, Rocky or King Shark?
Outside of King Shark, nom nom, this trailer really shines. I laughed out loud with Idris Elba and John Cena talking, um, eating habits. In fact, Cena seems delightful as this trailer got me excited about the upcoming Peacemaker tv series which is also written by Gunn. Margot Robbie continues to shine as Harley Quinn and I couldn’t love her response to being rescued more. Freaking Starro showed up randomly at the end to destroy a city. The colors were bright. The action looks bonkers. There’s a character named Weasel who is licking a window. There are explosions. And there’s Viola Davis bringing the heat check with her Amanda Waller. What more could you possibly want?!
Well, maybe to hear Weasel talk? I’m just curious.
It’s been customary for a while that the first trailer to a big blockbuster doesn’t reveal anything about the plot and this trailer follows suit. If I was to guess, the team is on a rescue mission and things go sideways. Maybe? I don’t know and right now I don’t care. This movie could be about securing the recipe for cupcakes and I’d still be all in. All I care about is how this movie is willing to not take itself seriously and looks like ten pounds of fun in a five-pound bag. With a tagline that says don’t get attached you just know there’s going to be some Belko Experiment, written by Gunn, type carnage.
James Gunn is the perfect choice to usher in this new era of DC movies and his proven track record with superhero properties has me extremely optimistic for this version of the Suicide Squad. Not to mention Gunn’s ability to write sharp, funny dialogue that can turn on a dime and pull out all your feels. DC needs a movie like this. And come August 6th, I’ll be happily sitting on my couch turning up HBO Max to give this bad boy a whirl.
And as an added bonus, you just know this is coming with a bitchin’ soundtrack. Ugh, August 6th is too far away…
What do you think Geeklings, did this trailer make you excited for James Gunn’s Suicide Squad? What new character addition are you most excited for and why is it King Shark? In the post-Snyder Cut world are you happy with this new direction of the DCEU? Sound off in the comments below or throw me a line over on Twitter @iamgeek32. You’ll know it’s me because I’ll the one sitting here with his hand up.
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