The Suicide Squad will start running wild on HBO GO from today, November 4.
Written and directed by James Gunn, the film takes the most degenerate delinquents in the DC lineup on an outrageously visceral, wild ride that blends non-stop action and life-or-death situations with irreverent humor and heartfelt moments – all filtered through Gunn’s singular vision.
When crafting the screenplay, Gunn cites early influences like “The Dirty Dozen” as the impetus not just for the story, but also the style of film he sought to make: gritty and real. Juxtaposed with hyperrealism in certain instances, of course— these are comic book characters after all on a search-and-destroy mission like no other. However, what truly sets his vision apart is that, in true Squad fashion, no one is ever safe. From the get-go, he determined that every single character, no matter how big the name cast to portray him or her (or it), would be in real danger, with no rules imposed upon who survives and who doesn’t.
Meet the characters that make up The Suicide Squad:
MARGOT ROBBIE AS HARLEY QUINN
Margot Robbie returns to the role of fan-favorite Harley Quinn. Having been reincarcerated, she buys her freedom once more by joining the Squad. As colorful, cheeky, cheerful as ever, she still has all her deadly dynamic moves, and is as eager as ever to show them off. But Harley, in her signature, ladylike style, isn’t afraid to manhandle anyone who comes her way. Robbie states, “I love playing Harley. I don’t know when I’ll ever get sick of playing Harley, she’s such a catalyst of chaos. And every time a different director approaches the character, I think they gravitate towards certain aspects of the character that they find intriguing or interesting, and then I get to explore all these different angles of Harley.”
IDRIS ELBA AS BLOODSPORT
As his name would indicate, Bloodsport is a world-class marksman specializing in brutality. His hands, and anything he wields with them, are deadly weapons. Idris Elba plays the role he describes as “a character that lives deep in the vaults of the DC world. He comes from this sort of very tough military background and has an incredible amount of tech. But he’s quite a grumpy guy and not fun to be around. He’s disgruntled. He’s been in jail for a long time and hates the system.”
JOHN CENA AS PEACEMAKER
A huge, hulking specimen with muscles on his muscles, Peacemaker is a world-class marksman—just like his fellow Squad member, Bloodsport, but if you ask him, better. He’s more than willing to fight, kill, and even start a war, as long as it’s done for the sake of keeping the peace. For him, there is no act too low and no price too high to pay for liberty.
JAI COURTNEY AS CAPTAIN BOOMERANG
Like his weapon of choice would imply, the devilishly handsome, Tasmanian devil-may-care Captain Boomerang is back for another death-inducing mission. Sporting Captain Boomerang’s shiny gold front tooth and trademark grin, Jai Courtney returns to the role. “Part of the character’s appeal is that he doesn’t change, he will always be the guy who doesn’t play well with others,” the actor comments. “I think James liked that and didn’t feel the need to change that, so he’s the same guy, he’s just with a whole bunch more criminals.”
DANIELA MELCHIOR AS RATCATCHER 2
When she’s not catnapping, Ratcatcher 2—who learned everything she knows from her dad—is cuddling with her four-legged companion, a rat named Sebastian. He’s her nearest and dearest of many feral friends who, with just a flick of her jerry-rigged electronic wand, will come out of the woodwork to aid her. The character, aka Cleo Cazo, is not from canon but inspired
by established character Ratcatcher and is played by Daniela Melchior. “Ratcatcher 2 is a young girl and very lazy,” the actress describes. “She doesn’t want to wake up and do things. She doesn’t want to be in jail but there she is. But she has a good heart and starts to see the other members of the Suicide Squad as friends.”
MICHAEL ROOKER AS SAVANT
An expert in weapons and hand-to-hand combat, Savant is muscular, with a shock of long, straight white hair. Like most prisoners called to join the Squad, he did it just to get out of the utter boredom of Belle Reve prison. Michael Rooker took on the role, which Gunn wrote specifically for him. “I’ve been doing Aikido and Judo all my life, and I can hit a target with rifles, pistols, knives, axes, without looking. I can close my eyes and I still see it, still spatially know where it is. My brain adjusts for speed and location. That’s kind of what Savant is all about.”
PETE DAVIDSON AS BLACKGUARD
A brute in black armor, Blackguard regularly employed his super strength to wield an energy mace and shield before being thrown into Belle Reve prison, where Amanda Waller recruits him for the Squad.
Unable to meet with Davidson prior to his shoot date due to scheduling conflicts, costume designer Judianna Makovsky improvised by creating his black and gold costume in many pieces, straying somewhat from the look in the comics. That pleased Gunn, however, who wanted Blackguard’s appearance to be even bit more imposing. For Davidson, though, that meant donning a costume that weighed close to 60 pounds thanks to a generous amount of metal and custom-molded hardware.
FLULA BORG AS JAVELIN
Blond, brawny and exceedingly handsome (especially if you ask him), sporting a form-flattering blue and yellow tights-and-mask combo, Javelin is the most classically attired Squad member. German-born actor Flula Borg plays the German Olympian, aka Gunter Braun, with the wavy blond hair who shines on the outside while not necessarily being the brightest on the inside. Nevertheless, his attributes definitely make an impression on Harley Quinn.
SYLVESTER STALLONE AS KING SHARK
The enormous King Shark is half-human and half-shark, with a childlike naivete that belies the teeth beneath. Voiced by the unmistakable Sylvester Stallone, Nanaue (his “real” name) is the son of a shark god. While being part man, his shark qualities—and proclivities—far outweigh anything human about him. At least on the outside. Despite his primary train of thought revolving around food and his favorite meal being human flesh, Nanaue has a deeply human emotional core and pulls at the heart strings of more than one fellow squad member.
The Suicide Squad was produced by Charles Roven and Peter Safran, with Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Walter Hamada, Chantal Nong Vo, Nikolas Korda and Richard Suckle executive producing.
Stream or download The Suicide Squad and more DC films, series, and animated features on HBO GO including Birds Of Prey And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn, the 2013 film, Suicide Squad, and the animated film, Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay. Subscribe to HBO GO online at www.hbogoasia.ph or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store on your device for as low as ₱99.70/month. Or access HBO GO via Cignal, Globe and Skycable. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
