Joel Kinnaman Says James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad Feels Like a Comedy

When James Gunn was first hired to write and direct a Suicide Squad sequel for DC and Warner Bros., fans immediately knew that the villainous franchise would be heading in a much different direction. The filmmaker created a uniquely charming and intelligent tone with his Marvel Studios team-up series, Guardians of the Galaxy, so many have expected that he would be bringing the same style with him to The Suicide Squad. Based on the comments of one of the film’s stars, it looks like that will be the case.

Joel Kinnaman is one of the few stars of the first Suicide Squad returning for James Gunn’s sequel, so he understands better than anyone what sets The Suicide Squad apart from its predecessor. During an appearance on Variety’s The Big Ticket podcast, Kinnaman opened up about what it’s like working with Gunn.

“He’s an incredible guy,” Kinnaman said. “He’s written a fantastic script. It’s so funny… I feel like I’m shooting my first comedy. There are a lot of really funny people there. It’s like a learning experience. I’m around a lot of incredible funny people.”

There were certainly funny lines and scenes in the first Suicide Squad, but Kinnaman’s comments suggest Gunn’s take on the characters will have fans laughing through and through.

While on the subject of DC films, Kinnaman sang the praises of Joaquin Phoenix’s recent portrayal of the Crown Prince of Crime in Joker.

“Joaquin [Phoenix] just crushed it. Wow. He is incredible. He’s such an actor,” he added. “It’s surprising to see that kind of a performance in something that has a DC wrapper on it, because that’s a real art film. And I have a sister who’s schizophrenic, and I’ve drawn on some of her behavioral things in things that I’ve done earlier, and, yeah, I was really struck by how accurate his [performance was].”

Joker and The Suicide Squad are both prime examples of the new direction Warner Bros. is trying to take with its latest slate of DC films. Instead of trying to combine everything into a connected universe, the studio is allowing filmmakers to bring their own visions to life with new projects.

Which new DC movie are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!