Following a shaky camera phone leak of the footage shown at Comic-Con International in San Diego, on Monday Warner Bros. officially released the first look at their upcoming "Suicide Squad" film based on the DC Comics series. While the next few years will be filled with super hero films from Marvel, DC and more, "Suicide Squad" certainly seems to be staking out its own cinematic territory. Some fans love this gritty take on DC's greatest villains while others seem taken aback by the extreme approach to some of the characters.
Official SDCC "Suicide Squad" First Look Arrives Online
Whatever side you take, this trailer certainly has fans talking. From character choices, brief looks at each performance to story beats and a near non-stop dose of action, there's a lot to digest and discuss. Join us as we hit the highlights of the SDCC footage and point out what has us most excited for this upcoming take on DC's "Suicide Squad."
Deadshot's Girl
What makes Floyd Lawton, AKA Deadshot, different from the bevy of gun happy anti-heroes that are so prevalent in comics? The answer is his daughter. Deadshot does what he does for the love of his little girl, making this kill crazy marksman a much different character from Deathstroke or the Punisher. That's why we did a fist pump when we saw Will Smith's Deadshot hug his daughter in the trailer. From that brief glimpse of a tender moment in an otherwise action-packed trailer, it seems WB and director David Ayer understand the nuances of Floyd Lawton, something that bodes well for the cinematic future of Deadshot.
The Bubble
Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn has a lot going for her. She has an undeniable screen presence, she's quirky as Hell, and she seems to straddle the line between amusing camp and completely cracked. The entire portrayal of Harley in the trailer seems to suggest that this version of the Joker's best girl will be a woman who is deeply disturbed, especially if smashing her face into the bars of her cell is any indication. But that bubble she blows, that devil may care bubble, also suggests this is the classic Harley who can be as silly as she is sadistic and provides fans a tease of the walking contradiction that is the charismatic but deadly Harley Quinn.
An All-New, All-Different Joker
Fans can focus and dissect many aspects and characters of the new trailer, but it is clear that the focal point of most "Suicide Squad" discussions is Jared Leto's Joker. This new metal-grilled madman has polarized fandom with some loving this grizzled new prison persona while others lament the loss of the classic Crown Prince of Crime. This Joker reeks of danger and mental illness, a cruel, shark-like being akin to nothing DC fans have ever seen before. Whether this Joker reaches the same iconic level as Heath Ledger's or Jack Nicholson's remains to be seen, but from those few chilling words he utters in the trailer, it's clear that Leto's Joker is could be an exciting new twist on an old classic.
A DCU Deep Dive
While DC is in the early stages of building a cinematic universe, between "Man of Steel" and the upcoming "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," it has thus far only featured the most iconic characters DC Comics has to offer. If the "Suicide Squad" trailer is any indication, that will all change in 2016 because there are some deep character cuts involved in this villain-centric film. Marvel has had such tremendous film success in part because it looks beyond its biggest icons in order to turn B-listers into A-listers, as seen by Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man. DC appears to be following suit with major roles for Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc, Rick Flagg and the Enchantress. These characters have been taken from diverse parts of DC history -- from Flash and Batman's rogues galleries to the world of DC westerns and war books. Pulling from the rich tapestry of the DCU is a positive sign that Warner Bros. plans to fully extend their reach to all corners of the DCU, meaning plenty of characters beyond the familiar and films that encompass a variety of genres. Before "Suicide Squad," who would have imagined any version of El Diablo in a movie?
Amanda Waller: Puppet Master
In the past few years, there have been a number of versions of Amanda Waller on film and on TV. From Angela Bassett in "Green Lantern" to Cynthia Addai-Robinson on "Arrow," fans have experienced very different interpretations of "The Wall." Based on this footage, it seems Viola Davis is using the John Ostrander/Tom Mandrake classic Amanda Waller as a character template for the film. As fans of the classic "Suicide Squad" can attest, that's a very good thing indeed. The Waller presented in the trailer seems to be the classical chess playing puppet master who in the comics has successfully matched wits with Batman and Lex Luthor -- and came out on top. Davis seems entirely at home in the role and fans should look forward to seeing a character that is uniquely the classic, immovable Machiavellian Waller and not just DC's take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Nick Fury.