An insane (pun intended) amount of hype surrounded Suicide Squad before its release. The movie was the new chapter in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) of films and a follow-up to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. It was finally bringing to live-action characters that fans had waited a long time to see like Deadshot and Harley Quinn, and its marketing focused greatly on the big introduction of a new and very different interpretation of the ever-so-popular Batman villain, the Joker, in this universe. Such a movie promised to be dark, colorful, violent and unhinged.
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However, many fans felt disappointed by the final product, a movie plagued by reports of various different versions and edits, with many scenes, some even glimpsed at in the trailers, not making the final cut. Sadly, we don't know if these scenes will ever be released as part of a director's or R-Rated cut or anything of the like. All we know is that there is a lot of concept art out there, which seemed to hint at a much better, much darker version of the film. Today, CBR lists 15 pieces of Suicide Squad concept art by artists like Ed Natividad and Christian Laurenz Scheurer that we wished we could have seen in the movie.
15 SCARECROW
Suicide Squad was a movie chock full of characters big and small – mostly, characters that were a part of the Batman comic books, like Deadshot, Joker, Killer Croc and Harley Quinn. With scenes throughout Gotham City and Arkham Asylum, it isn't much of a surprise to see that other Batman-related characters were considered to be appear in the film.
In this piece of concept art, we can see that there was a time when the Scarecrow was set to appear in the film. We don't know if he would have been a part of the Squad or a side-villain, but there is no mistaking that his appearance would have been terrifying. From his frightening look to the use of his signature fear gas, we are certain that Scarecrow would have brought absolute terror in Suicide Squad.
14 A DIFFERENT LOOK FOR HARLEY
Harley Quinn had many different looks in the movie, but she spent the bulk of the action in the present in the same “Daddy's Little Monster” outfit, one that has now become as recognizable to the character as her court-jester uniform. While that look makes her fit in quite well with the gangster aesthetic of the film, it seems we could have gotten a darker, quieter look for Harley.
This concept art shows us Harley, armed with her now trademark bat, in a dress that is somewhat reminiscent of her nurse's outfit look in the Arkham Asylum video game. It's definitely a look that is different from the one we ultimately got, but it's one that would have accentuated the creepy and even broken side of Harley Quinn.
13 BATMAN VS JOKER
After seeing Batman interact with Superman, Wonder Woman and Lois Lane in Batman v. Superman, it was great news to hear that the character would appear in some capacity in Suicide Squad, seeing as how Batman is an important part of many of these characters' stories. While we saw him face-off with Deadshot and Harley Quinn, the ultimate crime was having Batman and Joker in the same movie, and not having them interact at all.
But it seems like that wasn't always the case. Thanks to this piece of concept art, we can see that it would have been a very real possibility to see Jared Leto's Joker and Ben Affleck's Batman trade wits. Simply seeing Joker sitting in the Batmobile would have been amazing to see, and having him interact with the Batman could have cemented his place even deeper into the DCEU.
12 A MORE COMIC BOOK-ACCURATE DEADSHOT
As the field leader of the Suicide Squad, Floyd Lawton was always going to have a big role in the film. With Will Smith playing the part, the character easily became a standout, and one that we would like to see return. But while the classic elements of Deadshot were all there, his costume left something to be desired. It was still Deadshot, but it was a bit lacking when it came to comic book accuracy.
Deadshot's comic book costume is one dominated by red. Thanks to this piece of concept art, we know that Deadshot's costume wasn't always supposed to be the dark-with-only-hints-of-red outfit we got in the movie. Here, his upper body is predominantly red and considerably less busy. It's a more tactical look that would have favored efficiency over style, something that would have made Deadshot look more like a villain, and less like a soldier.
11 JOKER WAS A PART OF THE FINAL FIGHT
Joker wasn't just supposed to survive the helicopter crash. As shown in this image, it can be seen that he was also supposed to meet Enchantress, and take some part in the final confrontation between the Squad and the sorceress. Previous reports mentioned that the Joker was supposed to appear during this scene to try and save Harley, only for her to choose her team instead of him.
Such a scene would have been great to see unfold on the screen, with the Joker who, after having a side-story of his own, would have taken part in the main conflict of the film. Not only that, it would have only made the Joker and Harley's reunion in Belle Reve all the more twisted, and that would have given the ending of the film a whole different punch.
10 A MACHINE-LIKE LOOK FOR INCUBUS
To do her bidding, Enchantress would summon her brother Incubus back to life, creating a hulking creature without much of a personality but very big on death and destruction. He was the one who would pose a physical threat to the Squad where Enchantress could not. While this villain is one that some fans felt let down by, we can see, thanks to this early concept art, that he could have looked very different.
What Incubus lacked in personality, he could have more than made up for thanks to this machinery-inspired look. A different texture and a different idea behind the character as a whole would have made him a different presence and a different threat to the Squad, a terrifying and memorable monster instead of the one we ultimately got in the film.
9 DIFFERENT LOOKS FOR ENCHANTRESS
As an ancient witch, Enchantress was first introduced as the double of June Moon, with a tattered, almost broken and dirty look that was effectively creepy, with moldy eyes and unkempt hair. But when she was freed and reached full power, she transformed into something much more... normal, with a dress and headgear that seemed to call back to the era she hailed from. But in doing so, her impact was lessened.
However, these pieces of concept art show us that, once reaching fully-powered freedom, Enchantress could have looked much different. She could have attained the look of something that called back to her origins that at the same time exuded raw power and magic. This is a look that hinted that she was not a mere human, but a true ancient and divine force of the world.
8 JOKER KILLS A GUY IN THE STREETS
During Amanda Waller's presentation of the various members of the Suicide Squad, we are told that both Harley Quinn and her boyfriend the Joker are king and queen of Gotham's criminal underworld. But it sure seems like, at some point, it was a part of the movie's plan to actually show us how dangerous and lethal they were.
This piece of concept art illustrates such a scene, one that seemed to show us Harley and the Joker at the height of their criminal partnership. In the middle of the street, not a care in the world, Joker shoots the man while Harley looks on, no doubt after having caught the man they were looking for on her motorcycle. It's another small scene in the grand scheme, but one that would have showed us how devious and menacing these two really were.
7 JOKER CARRIES HARLEY QUINN
One of the standout scenes of Suicide Squad was seeing Harleen Quinzel jump into a vat of chemicals, and Joker jumping in after her. It was a rare scene that showed us the quite unhealthy but very strong bond they had. And it seemed like we could have gotten more of that. We can't know what the circumstances would have been, but Joker carrying an unconscious Harley to safety would have been great to see.
This concept art not only showed us some form of concern from the Joker, it also shows us that these two were a team. Plus, we can also see that the Joker's final look in the film wasn't always part of the plan. Here we see a much more classic-looking Joker, with bow-tie and without tattoos, and we can even see that Harley Quinn could have worn a costume more reminiscent of her Arkham Knight video game look.
6 ENCHANTRESS CREATED A BOOM TUBE...?
Once she was freed and loosed upon the world, Enchantress' plan was to create a machine that would destroy the world. She created this machine thanks to her magical powers, resulting in a powerful portal that unleashed energy wherever she aimed it. But thanks to the name that accompanies this piece of art, it seems like that portal was supposed to be something very different at some point.
Thanks to this piece named “Enchantress Boom Tube,” we now know that in some early version of the film, Enchantress was supposed to open a portal to the planet Apokolips, home of Darkseid and Steppenwolf – the big villains setup in Batman v. Superman. This would have brilliantly made Suicide Squad tie very directly into the DCEU and the narrative setup in Dawn of Justice and Justice League.
5 ...AND SHE CREATED PARADEMON SOLDIERS?
A Boom Tube connecting the movie to Apokolips isn't where Suicide Squad's original ties to Batman v. Superman and Justice League were supposed to end. In fact, thanks to the name of this piece of concept art – "Parademon Seals" – we came to know that a version of the Parademons were supposed to have some sort of presence in the film as part of Enchantress' army of monsters.
The Parademons are the foot soldiers of Apokolips, and they were glimpsed in Dawn of Justice. With a portal to their planet open, it seems like Enchantress was supposed to turn Rick Flagg's soldiers into an early version of Parademons. Not only would this have been effectively scary, it would also have contributed to the larger whole of the DCEU by furthering the threat and presence of Apokolips.
4 JOKER AND HARLEY STOP FOR DRIVE-THRU
It's no secret that many scenes featuring Jared Leto's Joker were left on the cutting room floor. The actor himself has gone on record telling how many other scenes have been filmed, and hoping they will see the light of day. We don't know if this particular scene was ever shot, but it sure looks like seeing Joker and Harley Quinn stop for drive-thru at McDonald's would have been hilarious.
We actually did see these two in Joker's car as they were making an escape from Batman, so it's a safe bet that the drive-thru scene would have preceded it. It's a small scene, but it would have added so much more to the film and the relationship of Harley and Joker, and it would no doubt have led to quite a few entertaining laughs -- and maybe even a scare, because who knows what Joker would do to that McDonald's employee.
3 THE SQUAD UNDER ATTACK
While we saw the Suicide Squad face off against Enchantress' monsters, it never really felt like the team was in danger. Deadshot, Boomerang, Croc and Harley had things mostly under control as they disposed of the creatures, with or without Rick Flagg's help. But this concept art shows us a scene that would have posed another threat to the entire team.
Surrounded by dozens of “eyes,” something like this would have accentuated the absolute danger and creepiness the team was in, with different threats around every corner. We don't know the ultimate purpose these eyes would have played, but there is little doubt in our minds that it would have been very bloody – something that could have taken out more of Rick's men, and something to highlight how dangerous this mission actually was.
2 ENCHANTRESS' MONSTERS
The Suicide Squad's first mission and battle as a group was to take on the forces of Enchantress' monsters, people from the city that had been turned into her very own distorted army of creatures. But as it turns out, throughout the battle, we never got a real proper look at these twisted and deformed monsters, one of which would have looked as pictured in this piece of concept art.
While the Squad was under attack by monsters, we never really got a good feel that what they were facing was terrifying, that what was coming for them was an actual threat to their lives. Seeing more monsters like this would have helped darken the film, show us the twisted powers of Enchantress in a more vile way, and also accentuate the odds the team was facing. In short, it would have put the “suicide” in Suicide Squad.
1 THE JOKER SURVIVES THE HELICOPTER CRASH
Before the movie was ever released, the Suicide Squad trailers hinted at a heavy presence for the Joker, not just as part of Harley Quinn's side of the story, but also for the main conflict. We saw a badly burned Joker take on the Squad, a burn that was a direct result of the helicopter he was on crashing, something we actually did see in the movie.
But in the film, we only see the Joker again at the end of the film, where he breaks into Belle Reve Penitentiary. What we didn't see was how he got out of that helicopter crash. This piece of concept art shows that it was part of the plan, at some point, to see the Joker emerge out of the flaming wreckage of his helicopter, something that would have helped connect the dots and show the Joker (even more) unhinged.
What would you have most liked to see in Suicide Squad? Let us know in the comments!