Is it a sequel? Is it a remake? Is it a reboot?
Those were the questions thrown around after it was announced that director James Gunn was slated to write and direct The Suicide Squad. Sporting returning cast members Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, and Jai Courtney in their respective roles, Gunn’s bizarrely heartfelt take on Task Force X made its mark on movie-goers and critics alike. While not necessarily addressing the events of the first film, it’s clear that the relationship between the original Squad members still stands. Harley Quinn greets Rick Flag in a way that most certainly alludes to their shared history, and Quinn herself definitely cares for Courtney’s Captain Boomerang in a scene I won’t disclose for spoiler purposes.
In addition to the characters, the brand new and utterly outrageous storyline of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad shares quite in common with its divisive predecessor, David Ayer‘s Suicide Squad. This article is going to take a deep dive into both of the mega-blockbusters, analyzing their shared themes, set-pieces, and other elements.
WHAT MAKES A VILLAIN?
One of the main character dynamics featured in The Suicide Squad is between Bloodsport and Peacemaker. The two felons comically seem to have the exact same abilities. “Are you having a laugh?” Bloodsport says to Amanda Waller, “He does exactly what I do!” “But better,” Peacemaker chirps in. From the start these two anti-heroes are pitted against each other.
Throughout their mission, Peacemaker and Bloodsport continue to exchange razor-sharp critiques of one another. “I think liberty is just an excuse for you to do whatever you want,” Bloodsport jabs at Peacemaker. “At least I don’t kill men for money like you!” Peacemaker fires back. This exchange is extremely reminiscent of the frequent arguments between Flag and Deadshot in 2016’s Squad.
During the rescue mission for Amanda Waller in the original, Deadshot tells Flag, “Hey man, I know you can’t hear me ‘cause you’re trapped in your temple of soldierly self-righteousness, but a two-faced dude like you wouldn’t survive a second on the street.” “Oh, says the guy who shoots people for money,” Flag responds back. The two characters persistently believe that they are completely different from one another, yet their violent lifestyles overlap. Earlier in the film Flag tells Deadshot, “I’m a soldier, and you’re a serial killer who takes credit cards.” Both of these characters have brutally killed people in their line of work, yet they continually argue that they have the moral high ground over the other. This dynamic lends itself to the first film’s thematic exploration of what it truly means to be a “villain.” In regards to the 2021 version, Peacemaker fills the role of the soldierly 2016 Rick Flag, criticizing Bloodsport’s contract killing lifestyle and contrasting it with his all-American liberty-serving ideals. Bloodsport proves his worth as someone who can do some good, whereas Peacemaker’s ego sends him down a villainous spiral.
THE DEADSHOT DILEMMA
When reports started getting out that Will Smith could not return for the second Suicide Squad because of scheduling issues, fan speculation immediately began. After Idris Elba was cast in an unknown leading role, many assumed it would be a recast of the iconic gun-slinging villain. As it turns out, Elba was actually playing comic-character Bloodsport, infamously known for putting Superman in the ICU with a Kryptonite bullet.
Much like Deadshot, Bloodsport is a highly-skilled marksman and contract-killer. The similarities don’t end there as Bloodsport’s biggest thorn in his side is his young daughter. Much like Deadshot in the original Squad, Bloodsport seeks to protect his daughter from his path of villainy. Just like the resolution of the first film, Bloodsport saves the world and proves to his daughter that he is capable of good. “Everybody’s gonna know what we did. And my daughter is gonna know that her daddy isn’t a piece of shit,” Smith’s Deadshot says before heading into battle with Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) at the end of the first film. The emotional arc between the two gunslingers is nearly identical.
EVOLVING CHARACTERS
Using the previously established traits of the original Suicide Squad characters, Gunn was able to elevate many of their personas. The biggest changes are most evident with the new versions of Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. Originally a dead-set soldier character completely allegiant to America, Gunn takes Flag and challenges his values. *SPOILER* When Flag discovers that the twisted Project Starfish experiments were partially led by the American government, he realizes the country that he swore to protect has become his enemy. “I joined the military to serve my country, not to be its puppet…Goddamn people deserve to know,” Flag explains as he searches for a drive full of information about America’s involvement in the experiments. Flag is willing to put aside his soldierly duties to do what he believes is right for the well-being of the world.
Additionally, in the first film, Flag was extremely against working alongside the villains of the Suicide Squad. In The Suicide Squad, it’s evident that Flag has kept up his friendship with Harley Quinn and even makes the squad change their mission to rescue her. “You notice these are criminals? Psychotic antisocial freaks,” Flag rants to Waller in 2016’s Squad. The character has certainly come a long way, turning into one of the most sympathetic and entertaining characters of the newest installment.
Harley Quinn is another character that has tremendously changed since her original appearance in the 2016 film. Starting off as essentially an extension of the Joker’s (Jared Leto) twisted fantasies, Quinn has completely come into her own following the events of Birds of Prey. Now free of the Joker’s grasp, Robbie’s Quinn has become an iconic villain on her own accord. “When your taste in men is as bad as mine, they don’t just go away quietly,” Harley tells her brief new lover Silvio Luna as he *Spoiler* bleeds to death on the floor. “All the cruelty…tears you apart after a while,” Quinn says with unfiltered raw emotion. This line showcases that Harley has acknowledged the cruelness of her relationship with the Joker and has accepted the fact that he was a terrible influence on her. Quinn no longer needs the Joker to define her worth and power, as she is more than capable of taking control of her own narrative.
PROTECT THE CHILDREN
A common thread that weaves its way through many of The Suicide Squad’s twisting narratives is the varying attitudes toward violence against children. Harley Quinn decides to assassinate Silvio Luna after he confesses that children have been experimented on as part of Project Starro. Citing this as a “boyfriend red flag,” Quinn shoots and kills him with ease. For someone as twisted and violent as Harleen Quinzel, even she draws the line when it comes to harming the youth. During his fateful brawl with Peacemaker in the labs of Jotunheim, Flag shouts “they experimented on children!” when explaining why he believes the public deserves to know of America’s involvement in Project Starfish. Flag is willing to backstab the very country he serves on behalf of the children who were killed as part of the experiments.
In another instance, Amanda Waller threatens to throw Bloodsport’s daughter in the horrendous Belle Reeve facility if he doesn’t comply. Housing some of DC’s most twisted criminals, a young teenager would be as good as dead within Amanda Waller’s metal prison. Waller stands true to her threat, despite her acquaintances appearing visibly shaken and concerned by her decision. Waller doesn’t care about violence when it comes to children, creating a clear contrast between her and the squad of villainous anti-heroes. Her streak of vicious threats and anger throughout the film eventually results in her workers rising up against her, taking things into their own hands.
Lastly, after the Squad accidentally releases the gigantic Starro the Conqueror, the kaiju-like beast begins to demolish the country of Corto Maltese. Waller, re-establishing communication with her team, demands that the group flee the island as their initial mission has been completed. She does not want them to combat the horrifying creature, and is seemingly okay with letting it run amok through the city killing whoever it wants. As Starro storms through the city, Gunn makes sure to include a shot of a lost child caught up in the extremely dangerous madness. Once again, Waller does not care about the well-being of anyone, much less children. As her anger bubbles to an all time high, a quick-thinking employee knocks Waller out with a golf club. “All those people…Little kids,” the brave worker says, once again emphasizing the importance of preserving young lives.
Throwing it back to 2016’s Suicide Squad, Task Force X decides to take a breather in a Midway City bar near the climax of the film. Inside, the twisted ensemble talk about their lives and identities as villains. When El Diablo (Jay Hernandez) reveals that he murdered his children using his fire abilities, the group is utterly disgusted by his actions. “Own that shit,” Harley Quinn demands. Will Smith’s Deadshot even emphasizes how he refuses to kill women and children, despite being a contract killer. Once again, no matter how villainous the characters are, when it comes to children they immediately cling to the moral high ground. El Diablo’s inner-conflict is a key element of the 2016 film, and explains why he is so hesitant to use his abilities for the majority of the film. In the end, El Diablo proves his worth and saves the Squad from the menacing Incubus in an act that unfortunately costs him his life. David Ayer has revealed that in his original cut, El Diablo survived but Warner Bros was not comfortable with a child-killer making it out of the film alive with no punishment. Additionally, in the pivotal moment before Deadshot shoots the bomb that would destroy Enchantress, the witch manifests an image of his young daughter pleading with him not to shoot. Faced with the supposed harm that his violent actions would cause to his young daughter, Deadshot has to push past the painful reminder of how terrible he has been as a father figure.
In a story that features such bleak and damaged characters, it’s fascinating to see the majority of them stand on common ground when it comes to not harming innocents.
MISCELLANEOUS STORY BEATS
Just like the 2016 version, the Suicide Squad team level with each other at a bar during a key moment in both of the films’ narratives.
In both films, the Squad encounters nearly blinding rain while they move in slow motion.
Much like El Diablo, Polka Dot Man is hesitant to use his abilities to kill human beings. They both end up being one of the most powerful members of their respective squads. Coincidentally, both characters activate their powers from their arms.
In both films, the original assignment of Task Force X is interrupted by a request for an emergency rescue mission. In 2016, the Squad must traverse the Ostrander building to rescue Amanda Waller. In 2021, the Squad is tasked with saving Rick Flag from what Waller believes to be a kidnapping situation.
The original Suicide Squad comic creator John Ostrander is referenced in both films. In 2016, the building Waller is trapped in is called the John F. Ostrander Federal Building. In the 2021 version, the man himself plays the scientist who injects Savant (Michael Rooker) with his neck bomb.
In both films, a pivotal fight sequence occurs amongst office cubicles. Harley takes cover behind a cubicle in both scenes.
Okay this one might be a BIT of a stretch but it seems thematically apparent that Rick Flag is stabbed in the heart, and in the 2016 film the only thing that could kill his witch girlfriend was her heart. A heart for a heart…?
In both films, the Squad decides to fight the main antagonist because they want to do some good for the world and not because their mission requires it.
While extremely unique and special in their own ways, both of the installments in DC’s Suicide Squad touch on many similar themes and character dynamics. Which one does it better?
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