The Suicide Squad Producer Teases James Gunn’s Gritty “1970s War Movie”

The Suicide Squad is a gritty “1970s war movie” combined with the style of characters and comedy filmmaker James Gunn brought to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, says producer Peter Safran in first-look footage revealed at DC FanDome Saturday. Loosely tied to director David Ayer’s Suicide Squad — about a team of expendable super-criminals sent to do the dirty work of U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) in exchange for leniency — Gunn’s relaunch brings in a new batch of disposable delinquents, including Task Force X recruits Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), and King Shark (Steve Agee).

“This one is completely unique,” Safran says in the exclusive sneak peek released during DC FanDome. “This is a gritty, 1970s war movie combined with the brilliance of James Gunn’s characters and comedy.”

Primarily influenced by writer John Ostrander’s 66-issue run on Suicide Squad — previously characterized by Gunn as a series of “black ops military tales with disposable, often forgotten super villains” — The Suicide Squad includes offbeat offenders like Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), Ratcatcher (Daniela Melchior), Javelin (Flula Borg), TDK (Nathan Fillion), and the fur-ocious Weasel (Sean Gunn).

Returning Suicide Squad scofflaws include the recently emancipated Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), a rebounded Boomerang (Jai Courtney), and the no-nonsense Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman).

“I cannot confirm the exact amount of explosions and crashes, but I will say that we have about as many explosions and crashes in this film as in any film ever,” Gunn says. “In fact, the guy who did all of our special effects on this film — Dan Sudick, who has done almost all of the Marvel movies, great movies — says there are more effects in this film than all of those movies he’s done combined. So we have a huge special effect explosion extravaganza for you guys.”

Also starring Peter Capaldi as Thinker, Mayling Ng as Mongal, Pete Davidson as Blackguard, Joaquin Cosio as General Mateo Suarez, Juan Diego Botto as Luna, Storm Reid as Tyla, Alice Braga as Sol Soria, Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt, and Taika Waititi in an unknown role, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad opens in theaters August 6, 2021.