WARNING: The following article contains potential spoilers for Warner Bros.' Suicide Squad 2, expected for release in 2019.


From the title alone, we knew what the members of Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad were getting into. They were forcibly sent on deadly missions because their superpowers offered the greatest chance for success where it was impossible for regular soldiers. If they disobeyed, Waller would blow them up. If they failed, they would also likely die, and that'd be okay. After all, they're there because they're expendable. These unique circumstances gave us a different kind of superhero film, one in which the death of a main character was not only possible, but was basically a certainty.

And a major death did occur by the end of the film when El Diablo, one of the most likable and relatable of the antiheroes, valiantly sacrificed himself to save his new family from annihilation at the hands of Incubus. He didn't last long against the villain, but that didn't make his explosive exit any less spectacular and meaningful. That he was a fan favorite made his death that much more impactful. It was a bold move, but ultimately a welcome one, and despite the first film's flaws, we can't wait to see how the squad was affected by this noble act.

But wait...

The sequel to 2016's Suicide Squad (directed by David Ayer) is set to start production later this year, which means that around this time, all the actors involved are getting started on the preparatory intense workouts that superhero films demand. At least, that's what we gathered from a recent photo posted on Instagram by Joel Kinnaman, who plays Rick Flag.

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You may notice Jay Hernandez is in the shot as well. Now, he could just be a passionate gym nut who loves training with friends, but rumors tell us his character, El Diablo, will be returning in Suicide Squad 2. This isn't a new rumor. In fact, fans have speculated that this would be the case ever since Hernandez vaguely hinted at a potential return in an interview in which he stated that El Diablo's return wouldn't be impossible, though he refused to elaborate on that comment.

This raises a few questions, chief among them being, does whoever is in charge of developing the sequel not understand the idea behind the Suicide Squad?

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Okay, that might be a little harsh. Bringing El Diablo back means making a few moviegoers happy by showing them that their favorite antihero actually survived that explosion. And, to be fair, said explosion might not have have been able to kill him in the first place, given the fiery nature of his superpowers.

That being said, a Task Force X resurrection is an awful idea.

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Suicide Squad established how disposable each one of these supervillains were to Waller when she killed Slipknot before he even had a chance to show off his skills. This was a great moment for a couple of reasons, the first being that no one actually expected Slipknot to be killed off like that, after all, even if he didn't get his own intro in Waller's introductory montage, the guy was on all the posters! It showed us that Waller wasn't playing around and that added to the tension, which in turn added to the shock when we saw El Diablo perish in that explosion.

El Diablo was a fully developed character. He was a gang member who used his pyrokinetic abilities to gain power on the streets where he earned the name, El Diablo. Eventually he decided he had to leave that life behind and settle down. He married Grace and had a daughter, but his past couldn't stay hidden. Upon discovering a hidden stash of money alongside two pistols, Grace confronted El Diablo and things got heated, in more ways than one. El Diablo lost control, unwillingly killing his wife and child. It broke him and he willingly surrendered to authorities. Soon after, he decided that he would never harm anyone using his powers again, effectively rejecting his other side.

This is why his sacrifice in that climactic battle was so significant. That moment showed him embracing his powers and that fiery side, not out of selfish desire but out of a need to protect his new family. He wasn't like the rest of the Squad, who were happy to unleash their destructive abilities upon the world, which is what made his character great. In fact, judging by the behavior of a few of the other characters like Rick Flag, it almost seemed as though El Diablo's demise might have changed them.

Resurrecting the character would steal from the impact of that fantastic scene. The integrity of his character may even suffer for it when he does show up in Suicide Squad 2, as most characters do when resurrected in films or television shows. It's a trope that often does more harm than good, particularly here where it would run counter to the very essence of the Suicide Squad.