Landing on Disney+ with its first two episodes, ‘Win or Lose’ represents the first Pixar small screen effort that isn’t tied to one of its movies, unlike ‘Dug Days’ or ‘Dream Productions.’
And while both of those had their charms, ‘Win or Lose’ scores its own victory by going off in some odd tangents while also channeling what it feels like to be a middle-schooler faced with the pressure of life and sports.
‘Win or Lose’ features the voice of Will Forte as Coach Dan. ‘Win or Lose’ streams on Disney+ in Fall 2023.
We can’t talk about ‘Win or Lose’ without addressing the elephant in the room –– there has been big controversy about the show for it effectively wiping a trans character’s storyline from the show. Kai, voiced by Chanel Stewart, is still present (and still receives her own spotlight episode), but all references to gender identity have been removed.
It’s a disappointing, shocking development, especially at a time when the entire LGBTQ community feels targeted. And it certainly doesn’t put the series in the best light.
Yet taken as a whole this remains an entertaining, energetic production that has plenty to offer.
Carrie Hobson wrote, directed and executive produced the series alongside Michael Yates, and the feeling here is very much of the more exuberant animation you’d find at the likes of Adult Swim or Nickelodeon than the more laidback Pixar style of old.
Video games (and the cross-media likes of Scott Pilgrim) are a big influence here, but that isn’t to take away from the heart and emotion that infuses each episode.
The early episodes might initially seem to end abruptly, but that’s because of the combined nature of the show –– we’ll end up seeing scenes from different perspective, and it all balances out well (at least in the five episodes of eight provided to press) in terms of how the story is told.
‘Win or Lose’s characters are also compelling –– for all the vibrant, quirky animation, it never loses sight that you need to care for the people on screen, even when they aren’t living up to their full potential.
Concepts such as one of their players having an imaginary burden in the form of a living globule of sweat help to make the new show stand out from previous efforts. It certainly won’t be to all tastes, but aside from the egregious removal of one character’s true nature, it shows some bravery.
As a visual experience, the show also pushes the envelope in terms of Pixar animation, and the world around them is brought to beautifully, uniquely stylish life. The Anytown American setting is chock full of nuance and the shots are superbly crafted.
Though Will Forte is the biggest name among the cast, his character dips in and out of the episodes and he’ll get his spotlight in the finale. But his chemistry with some of the players, particularly daughter Laurie (Rosie Foss) is sweet-natured and believable.
Laurie herself anchors the first episode and is an angsty delight who tries her best but can’t seem to replicate the skill levels of her fellow players. It’s in her episode that we meet the aforementioned sweat glob, “Sweaty” and Jo Firestone’s performance as the anthropomorphic, illusory creature is honestly one of the highlights of the series. Her subtle voice acting makes the strange concept absolutely work.
Other focuses include Frank (Josh Thomson), a middle-school teacher and the umpire for the local softball league whose love life is a disaster and who really just wants to be happy. Thomson is great in the role, and his contributions to other episodes also work.
There is also good work to be found from Milan Elizabeth Ray as Rochelle and Rosa Salazar as her mother, Vanessa. One is the best player on her team, while her mom is a driven single mother of two who crams in different jobs and her dream to be a social media influencer on the side, all while caring for her kids. Theirs is a sweet, grounded dynamic even as Vanessa sometimes comes off (on purpose) as a video game character trying to reach a new level of success.
‘Win or Lose’ has a lot going for it, including a unique style and great vocal work from the cast. For those who have been pushing Pixar to do something truly original again, this is probably the safest place for it to appear, since the box office pressure is off.
And the interconnected, deep-dive nature of the storytelling really only works on the small screen. Aside from the dumb decisions of nervous higher-ups, this is the creative team fielding a winner.
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What’s the plot of ‘Win or Lose’?
The series follows the intertwined stories of eight different characters as they each prepare for their big championship softball game. The series reveals what it actually feels like to be in the shoes of each character — the insecure kids, their helicopter parents, even a lovesick umpire — with funny, emotional and uniquely animated perspectives.
But unlike most of those, ‘My Spy’ is actually getting a sequel, with casting now announced for ‘My Spy: The Eternal City’. Anna Faris, Craig Robinson and Flula Borg are among the new faces joining the ensemble.
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What happened in ‘My Spy’
The first ‘My Spy’ –– which had been intended for theatrical release by STX Entertainment but was moved to Amazon when the pandemic closed cinemas –– starred Bautista as JJ, a CIA agent who is assigned on an undercover mission to surveil and potentially protect Kate (Parisa Fitz-Henley) and daughter Sophie (Chloe Coleman) when the former arms dealer partner of Kate’s dead husband suspects he may have smuggled the plans for a weapon back to his unsuspecting wife.
But while JJ and tech specialist Bobbi (Kristen Schaal) set up their operation in Kate and Sophie’s building, the precocious nine-year-old girl figures out exactly what JJ is up to and makes a deal –– if he’ll teach her spy craft, she won’t blow his cover.
JJ reluctantly agrees, and finds himself bonding with Sophie, and eventually falling for her mother, as the threats mount.
(L to R) Chloe Coleman and Dave Bautista in 2020’s ‘My Spy.’
The follow-up concerns a now teenage Sophie convincing JJ to chaperone her school choir trip to Italy where they both unwittingly end up pawns in an international terrorist plot targeting CIA chief David Kim (Ken Jeong) and his son, Collin –– who’s also Sophie’s best friend.
Schaal and Jeong are back for the new movie, while Nicola Correia-Damude, Noah Dalton Danby and Devere Rogers are all reprising their roles.
Faris, Billy Barratt, Taeho K, Borg and Robinson are new to the story, but Amazon has yet to reveal the roles they’ll play.
Pete Segal, who directed the first movie, is back behind the camera, having worked on the script alongside writing duo Jon and Erich Hoeber. The cameras will be rolling this month.
“We were so delighted with the success of ‘My Spy.’ It is an absolute privilege to reunite with Pete Segal, Dave Bautista, Chloe Coleman, and the rest of the talented cast and filmmakers–along with some very exciting additions,” Amazon and MGM Studios head Jennifer Salke said in a statement. “With the sequel, our Prime Video customers are in store for another dynamic story, complete with twists, hilarious performances, and even a little romance.”
(L to R) Chloe Coleman, Parisa Fitz-Henley and Dave Bautista in 2020’s ‘My Spy.’
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David Dastmalchian, John Cena, Idris Elba, and Daniela Melchior in ‘The Suicide Squad’
James Gunn (of Guardians of the Galaxy fame) brings his high-stakes DC epic, ‘The Suicide Squad,’ to the big screen. Although we’ll see a handful of characters return from the 2016 ‘Suicide Squad,’ there are quite a few new faces. Don’t worry if you don’t know every new character that Gunn is bringing in, where here to introduce them all to you.
Harley Quinn
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Harleen Quinzel Played By: Margot Robbie First Appearance: Batman the Animated Series
One of the returning characters from the original film, Harley Quinn (psychologist Doctor Harleen Quinzel) was once the Joker’s girl, helping him to break out of prison and become his clown partner of crime. But Harley grew to realize the Joker’s love wasn’t love, but abuse, and ran away to become her own anti-hero, more recently getting her own film as well. Harley uses a multitude of weapons but is well-known for her mallet and use of multiple firearms. Her outfit in the film seems to be taking inspiration from the Batman Arkham games, a nice callback.
Bloodsport
Idris Elba as Bloodsport in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Robert DuBois Played By: Idris Elba First Appearance: Superman Vol. 2 #4
This is not Bloodsport’s first live-action appearance, that honor goes to ‘Supergirl’ on The CW. In the comics, DuBois was an ex-soldier who, after seeing his brother come home mortally wounded, took up contract killing to fight against those he claimed ‘had freedom’ when they didn’t. TIt doesn’t look like the film is using all of that backstory, but if the trailer is anything to go by, it is using the story where he had gone toe-to-toe with Superman (and has even gotten the upper hand!) The big question is, since he’s worked for Lex Luthor in the past, will that be mentioned?
Rick Flag
Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Anthony Miller. Played By: Joel Kinnaman First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #25
Another returning character (and actor!) from the original film, Rick Flag is as “government agent” as a character can get. Brought in by Amanda Waller to lead tThe Suicide Squad, he’s the team’s field commander and accompanies them on every mission, to make sure they stay in line. In the comics, he comes from a long line of military men, and maybe with the film diving deeper into comic book territory, we may see this come up? While he has no superpowers, his military history and firearms expertise makes him a very well-trained member of the team.
Peacemaker
John Cena as Peacemaker in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Christopher Smith Played By: John Cena First Appearance: Fightin’ 5 #40
One of the oldest characters on this list, Peacemaker originated in the 60s. A diplomat willing to get peace no matter what, Smith is willing to take down as many lives as possible to do so. Though it’s doubtful the film will use the ‘is haunted by the spirit of his father’ plotline, it seems to be taking the ‘peace at all cost’ very close to heart. Peacemaker is also the only character getting his own HBO Max show down the line.
Amanda Waller
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Amanda Blake Played By: Viola Davis First Appearance: Legends #1
Another returning character from ‘Suicide Squad,’ Amanda Waller is most likely the most well-traveled as well. Appearing in TV shows, games and other films, she is the head of the Suicide Squad, and chooses whether they live or die at the touch of a button. In the comics storylines, she’s been given the nickname of “The Wall” in reference to how steadfast she is. She revived the Suicide Squad from files found she came across while working, and if she has a “super power,” it’s that she holds the lives of the squad in her hands.
King Shark
Sylvester Stallone voices King Shark in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Nanaue Played By: Sylvester Stallone First Appearance: Superboy #0
One of two animal members of this Suicide Squad, but this isn’t his first on-screen appearance (he’s shown up in ‘The Flash’ and the animated Harley Quinn series). King Shark is the son of the king of sharks and a human mother. (Ahh, comics…) And he’s exactly what he sounds like; a shark. He has a history of eating people, capturing swimmers, etc. We wouldn’t be surprised if Superboy, his nemesis, is mentioned in the film, as Shark plays a big role in Superboy’s story.
Polka-Dot Man
David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Abner Krill Played By: David Dastmalchian First Appearance: Detective Comics #300
One of the more outlandish members of the Squad (and that’s saying something with a team member like Weasel), Krill was a crook who, after witnessing Batman doing his crime-fighting thing, decided to just go around Gotham doing crime with polka-dots. (I swear that was it, no other reason was necessary.) His polka-dots get used for multiple purposes, and there have been hints that there is a biological component to powers of this version of the character.. Krill has never been a member of the Squad (save for an ‘Injustice 2’ prequel comic) so it’ll be interesting to see what he did that was so terrible that brings him with everyone else.
Sol Soria
Alice Braga as Sol Soria in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Sol Soria Played By: Alice Braga First Appearance: The Suicide Squad
Little is known about Braga’s character, because she hasn’t seemed to appear in any comics, and her debut is this movie. What we do know is she hails from the (fictional) country of Corto Maltese, and is the head of the country’s resistance group. The country has appeared in the comics as a place where metahumans are tested on and created. It’s possible she could be related to Juan Soria, a comic character who shares the same last name as Sol, a member of the Squad with cybernetic enhancements.
Savant
Michael Rooker as Savant in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Brian Durlin Played By: Michael Rooker First Appearance: Birds of Prey #56
A villain turned bad, all because Batman told him he shouldn’t do vigilante work, Savant is as smart as they come… but he might forget that due to his forgetfulness. Being a character that’s teetered on the line of villain and vigilante, it is unknown if the film will delve into his background with the Birds of Prey, and his partner/boyfriend Creote. It appears Rooker might be playing an older version of Savant, so maybe we see Creote in a flashback, perhaps? For us, the audience, but not Savant, who wouldn’t remember them in the first place!
T.D.K.
Nathan Fillion as T.D.K. in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Cory Pitzner Played By: Nathan Fillion First Appearance: The Suicide Squad
Little is known about T.D.K as he is a creation specifically from the mind of James Gunn himself, so if that tells you anything… All we do know is that he’s a metahuman who can detach his arms and legs, while having the ability to control them telepathically, and we’ve recently learned the initials T.D.K. stand for The Detachable Kid. Gunn has gone on record saying T.D.K “is from a Saturday morning cartoon,” which doesn’t speak highly of his abilities in the type of movie Gunn makes. Fillion himself has said his character is more annoying than a threat as well, so we can just take them for their word!
Captain Boomerang
Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: George “Digger” Harkness Played By: Jai Courtney First Appearance: The Flash #117
The final returning character (and actor0 from the original film, Boomer started off as a Flash villain, and has appeared in both movies and the Flash TV series. Born in Australia, he grew up being very good at carving boomerangs and using them as weapons. He’s the other character in the movie (next to Harley) that’s been featured outside of the film universe on both TV and in video games, and the character will star alongside Harley in an upcoming Suicide Squad game.
Blackguard
Pete Davidson as Blackguard in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Richard Hertz Played By: Pete Davidson First Appearance: Booster Gold #1
Little is known about Blackguard’s comic book origins, other than he was hired by a group called ‘The 1,000’ and outfitted by them as well. His known powers are, interestingly, ergokinesis (the ability to manipulate energy) and use of multiple gadgets. We don’t know if the film will go into his metahuman abilities, but he is one of the characters to have a major costume change. We also don’t know if they will dive into his Booster Gold connection (which would mean Booster’s introduction into the DCEU). But Gunn could very well add that kind of surprise.
Weasel
Sean Gunn plays Weasel in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: John Monroe Played By: Sean Gunn First Appearance: The Fury of Firestorm #35
There’s a fun story about Weasel. In the movie, he looks like as an actual… weasel-like creature. But in the comic, he’s an actual man! Monroe was a student in the 1960s who was nicknamed ‘weasel’ by his peers as they bullied him. By day, he’s a college professor. By night, he’s a murderer, dressing in a costume (most likely where Gunn’s portrayal comes from) and calling himsef ‘Weasel’. We still don’t know how Gunn will justify making him an actual animal, but the DC’s “metahuman” concept will probably play a part.
The Thinker
Peter Capaldi as The Thinker in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Clifford DeVoe (we think) Played By: Peter Capaldi First Appearance: All-Flash #12
Again, like Weasel, we got a fun one. While most characters have been given their comic-connected names and villainious monikers, we do not know which version of Thinker that Capaldi is playing. So for clarity’s sake, I’ll be going into the DeVoe version, as he has also appeared in The Flash TV show. A failed lawyer, DeVoe used his smarts to be the brains behind many small-time thugs. He was able to use his smarts as a weapon, literally, with the help of his ‘thinker cap.’ which clearly plays a role in the film. Now we just have to see if Gunn will use Thinker as a master manipulator, too…
Javelin
Flula Borg as Javelin in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Gunter Braun Played By: Flula Borg First Appearance: Green Lantern #173
Javelin doesn’t seem to have a first name in the comics, so we’re using the name Gunn gives him in the film. While he’s not a metahuman, Braun is a talented Olympian! A former member of the German Olympic team, he turned to a life of crime, but it’s not clear why. The only ‘superpower’ he has? He’s incredibly good with javelin-based weapons. As seen in the film’s featurettes, Braun sees himself as the best-looking in the room and might be one of the most stuck-up members of the squad. Let’s hope that saves him!
Mongal
Mayling Ng as Mongal in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Mongal Played By: Mayling Ng First Appearance: Showcase ‘95
The only otherworldly member of the squad seen so far, Mongal is the daughter of DC villain Mongul, born and raised on the planet Debstam IV. She’s taken on Superman, and was later killed by her own brother. She has superhuman strength and resiliance, and a long history of fighting to the death. But will that be enough to keep her alive?
Ratcatcher (2)
Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Cleo Cazo Played By: Daniela Melchior First Appearance: The Suicide Squad
Last but not least, we have Ratcatcher. A new character to the DC canon, Cazo is the daughter of the original Ratcatcher, and like her father, controls rats using a device that puts them under her influence. Gunn has said that Cazo is the “heart of the film” and even describes her as being “completely out of her element” but goes ahead and tries to make friends with everyone around her. It should be interesting to see how she plays off everyone else, and how everyone else plays off her and her rats.
‘The Suicide Squad‘ will be in theaters on August 6.
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The squad keeps expanding: James Gunn‘s upcoming “Suicide Squad” flick has added another cast member.
Deadline has the scoop that Flula Borg is the latest star to join the ever-growing ensemble of the DC villains feature. Borg — a German actor, DJ, YouTube star, and comedian who is best known to U.S. audiences for his part as one the Bellas’ international a cappella rivals in “Pitch Perfect 2” — will reportedly be playing a love interest to one of the film’s characters, though Deadline says that not much else is known about the role at this time.
Borg’s comedic sensibilities mesh well with Gunn’s offbeat aesthetic, which Gunn showcased in his breakout film, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” DC is undoubtedly hoping that the filmmaker’s signature wit and quirk can breathe new life into “The Suicide Squad,” which faltered with fans and critics alike on its first attempt at a film in 2016.
