10 Reasons We Are Excited for ‘Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay’

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay was first announced in summer of 2017, and is planned for release this spring. While it falls close to other movie adaptations like 2014’s animated Assault on Arkham and the Oscar award-winning 2015 live-action iteration, the new movie is designed to be a standalone project. Folks are excited for it, and for good reason.

There are many familiar elements within the film though. Amanda Waller has recruited a set of supervillains from within Belle Reve Prison, including familiar faces like Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and Harley Quinn, to go on an incredibly dangerous mission for the government. In this instance the team, now led by Deadshot, will be attempting to retrieve a mystical artifact and facing off against a bunch of other villains in order to achieve their goal.

We have very high expectations for Hell to Pay, and generally think it could be the best feature-length adaptation of Suicide Squad to date. If you’re not already psyched about this new DC animated movie, here are 10 big reasons we think might change your mind…

Christian Slater as Deadshot

While there’s not a bad pick in the main cast of Hell to Pay, Christian Slater as Deadshot feels like a real casting coup. Slater has shown a real knack for moving between heroic and villainous roles on the big screen, but consistently brings cool guy charm and understated humanity to each of his characters. That’s key for a character like Deadshot who can shift roles between deadly, uncaring assassin and removed, but loving father at the drop of the hat. Slater has also revealed himself to be a lot of fun as a voice actor on Archer, where he brings exasperated, angry jokes to life as a hyper competent CIA agent. Simply put, he’s perfect for the role.

The Team Is Expendable

One downside to the live-action Suicide Squad and current comic series is that it’s exceedingly easy to see that most of the team simply will not be killed. There’s no way that Will Smith or Margot Robbie will be tossed aside, much less their beloved comic book counterparts. That removes a key element of tension and risk from the concept, but it’s not something this movie has to worry about. As a standalone story it can take more risks and there are only a few members of the team that fans are likely to think of as “unkillable”. We hope to see danger reintroduced to the Suicide Squad.

Count Vertigo Arrives

Count Vertigo was a key member of the original superpowered Suicide Squad, but has been largely absent from its many adaptations. While he isn’t a part of the team in Hell to Pay, the confirmation of his presence is reason enough to celebrate. Vertigo’s story taps into key elements of the series, including the never ending struggle for recovery or betterment. While he’s likely a bit player in this movie, we hope that he’ll see more screen time if it succeeds.

Low-Powered Team

The more heavy hitters that exist on the squad, the less interesting it becomes. The missions are suicidal because of the overwhelming odds, and teams filled with the most impressive supervillains have a very good shot of getting the job done. That’s why we love this lineup of villains where most don’t even possess superpowers. Copperhead and Killer Frost are the only real metahumans in this team, and neither of them have the ability to take on the biggest baddies (or heroes) of the DC Universe. Whatever problems this Squad faces in Hell to Pay, they’re bound to have an uphill battle.

No Batman

For some reason, Batman has been included as a fundamental element in almost every Suicide Squad adaptation. Even in Arrow the Squad centers around the adventures of an Oliver Queen that has a whole lot in common with Gotham’s Dark Knight. It looks like Hell to Pay will be the first adaptation that is ready to let the Suicide Squad exist as its own protagonist without an additional superhero to boost recognizability. It’s about time.

More Nods to the Classic Squad

If it isn’t apparent already, an appreciation for the source material is a big reason why we’re excited for Hell to Pay. Whether it’s the makeup of the team, the setup of the story, or a dozen other minor details, this looks like the most faithful adaptation of the Suicide Squad that ran in the late ’80s and early ’90s so far. There’s a reason that series is a classic, and it ought to make a splash in animation as well.

Big Stakes

It’s not enough for the team to be manageable, the mission must be overwhelming in a great Suicide Squad story. That certainly seems to be the case in Hell to Pay where the six members of this iteration will be forced to confront a who’s who of DC villainy. There are some very big hitters going after their same goal as well, including the speedster Zoom, who would be more than enough on his own.

Punch (and Jewelee?) Are Included

While Punch and Jewelee are hardly beloved villains within the DC pantheon, they are fondly remembered by fans of Suicide Squad. There’s a good reason that Tom King included them in the Suicide Squad homage of his current Batman run. This pair are bananas in the best sort of way, providing absurdist humor while also delivering a good punch when needed. Knowing that Punch is cast in this adaptation is another cause for excitement, and we can only hope to see Jewelee as well.

The Whole DCU Is Involved

It’s apparent from the casting list that the writers of Hell to Pay had a lot of fun picking and choosing the antagonists for the movie. The many other villains also targeting the artifact reveal selections from almost every major rogues gallery DC Comics has to offer. There are some big names like Zoom and plenty of deep cuts, but together they show off the diversity of evil that makes DC Comics a great place for superhero stories.

Suicide Squad Is Overdue for a Great Adaptation

The truth is that while movies like Suicide Squad and Assault on Arkham certainly feature highlights, there has not been an outright great Suicide Squad movie to date. It’s a fantastic concept overdue for a deserving adaptation. Hell to Pay features all of the qualities needed to pay off what comics fans already understand, and we hope to see it accomplish just that this spring.