(Left) Wendell Pierce at the ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’ Season 1 World Premiere Event. Credit: Jordan Strauss. Copyright: Amazon Studios. (Right) Perry White. Photo: DC Comics.
Preview:
Wendell Pierce has joined ‘Superman’.
He’ll play Perry White for writer/director James Gunn.
The movie has started shooting.
The cameras are now rolling on James Gunn’s next superhero outing, his first as boss of the DC Comics-based movie universe alongside Peter Safran.
David Corenswet is playing the title character (as well as his alter ego, reporter Clark Kent), with Rachel Brosnahan as colleague and love interest Lois Lane.
Now we know who will be playing their boss, Daily Planet editor Perry White –– ‘The Wire’ and ‘Jack Ryan’s Wendell Pierce has won the role.
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What’s the story of ‘Superman’?
New ‘Superman’ logo. Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois will already be an established reporting star.
Perry White: History
(Left) Perry White. Photo: DC Comics.
White first appeared as a character in the 1940s radio serials based on Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel’s comics and has been a fixture in Superman-related stories ever since.
We can also expect an appearance from Gunn’s brother Sean (a regular in his movies, who has played the likes of Kraglin and provided the on-set reference performance and voice for Rocket Raccoon in the ‘Guardians’ franchise) as the villainous Maxwell Lord.
(Center) James Gunn and the cast of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
Preview:
James Gunn has announced that ‘Superman: Legacy’ is now just ‘Superman’.
Film has commenced in Atlanta.
David Corenswet plays the title character.
February 29th, in case you weren’t aware of this particular nugget of comic book trivia, happens to be Superman’s birthday, at least in DC canon (partly picked to explain why he doesn’t seem to age as quickly as other characters).
It’s also the day that James Gunn kicked off production on his new movie about the character. And the writer/director used to occasion to announce that, somewhere between his first and final draft of the script, the title has changed from ‘Superman: Legacy’ to simply… ‘Superman’.
Gunn hit Instagram to announce both the start of the shoot and the new, simple title:
And, per the post’s illustration, the filmmaker also gave us a sneak peek at the insignia to be worn on the chest of his Superman, framed by frosty particles we can assume come from Supes’ famous Fortress of Solitude.
What’s the story of ‘Superman’?
New ‘Superman’ logo. Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois will already be an established reporting star.
Peter Safran, Gunn’s co-chief of DC Studios (and a producer on the movie) said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
That’s the main ensemble; we can expect an appearance from Gunn’s brother Sean (a regular in his movies, who has played the likes of Kraglin and provided the on-set reference performance and voice for Rocket Raccoon in the ‘Guardians’ franchise) as the villainous Maxwell Lord.
(Left) Milly Alcock in ‘House of the Dragon.’ Photo: Ollie Upton / HBO. (Right) DC Comics’ Supergirl from writer Tom King’s ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.’ Photo courtesy of DC.com.
Preview:
Milly Alcock has won the role of Supergirl the DCU.
She will first appear in James Gunn’s ‘Superman: Legacy’.
The character will also lead ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’.
James Gunn has found the person he wants to play Kara Zor-El –– AKA Supergirl, the superpowered young woman who is Superman’s cousin –– in ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’.
Milly Alcock, best known for playing the young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s first season of ‘Game of Thrones’ spinoff ‘House of the Dragon’, has landed the much-sought-after role in the DC Universe being overseen by Gunn and his fellow DCU boss/producer Peter Safran.
While such casting announcements –– this one came via The Wrap –– usually sit in the rumor sphere before the studio comments, Gunn has taken to Instagram to confirm Alcock’s presence in the DCU.
‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ will be a big-scale sci-fi film based on Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s comic run. It features a “darker, harsher” version of Kara Zor-El raised on a surviving chunk of Krypton who sees everyone around her die.
This is what Gunn said at the time of the announcement:
“This is a very different type of Supergirl. In our film, we see the difference between Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from, you know, the time he’s an infant, versus Supergirl, who was raised on a rock chip-off of Krypton and watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life, and then came to Earth when she was a young girl and is much more hardcore. She’s not exactly the Supergirl we’re used to seeing.”
Who else was in the running for Supergirl?
Emilia Jones in ‘CODA’
Alcock got the role after an audition and a screen test, and the other two main contenders were Emilia Jones (who starred in Oscar winner ‘CODA’ and appeared in last year’s ‘Cat People’), and Meg Donnelly, known for the Disney ‘Zombies’ movies.
Donnelly also had some experience with Supergirl, as she has voiced the role in several animated DC outings.
Milly Alcock in ‘House of the Dragon.’ Photo: Ollie Upton / HBO.
‘Superman: Legacy’ has a release date scheduled for July 11th, 2025. Given that it has yet to find a director, the Supergirl movie has yet to lock in a date.
(Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.
Skyler Gisondo has been cast as Jimmy Olsen in ‘Superman: Legacy’.
Sara Sampaio has also joined the movie as Eve Teschmacher.
Director James Gunn has been busy building his cast around stars David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan.
As he looks to get the movie chugging towards production again in the wake of the writers and actors’ strikes, filmmaker James Gunn is quickly building the cast he needs for ‘Superman: Legacy’.
There has been a flurry of new casting of late, with Nicholas Hoult the most recent addition as villain Lex Luthor.
Today brings word that Skyler Gisondo, seen in movies such as ‘Booksmart’ and ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’, has won the role of Jimmy Olsen. Sara Sampaio, meanwhile, will play Luthor’s assistant (and often love interest) Eve Teschmacher.
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What’s the story of ‘Superman: Legacy’?
(Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.
The exact storyline remains a mystery, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois Lane will already be an established reporting star.
Peter Safran said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
Who else is in ‘Superman: Legacy’
(Left) David Corenswet in Netflix’s ‘The Politician.’ (Right) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’
Gunn has already found both his Superman and Lois, as David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan were announced before the actors’ strike began.
Shortly after that, we learned that Isabela Merced nabbed the part of Hawkgirl, regular Gunn actor Nathan Fillion would be taking the role of Green Lantern Guy Gardner, with ‘Barry’s Anthony Carrigan winning the character of Metamorpho and ‘Twilight’ veteran Ed Gathegi aboard as Mister Terrific.
More recently (as in, the last week or so), María Gabriela de Faría, who will play The Engineer, and as mentioned above, Nicholas Hoult is on to be Lex Luthor.
Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Olsen debuted in comics form in Superman #13 (November–December 1941) and on the radio.
He traditionally appears as the best friend to Clark Kent (Superman’s cover story) and works as a photojournalist at the Daily Planet alongside Clark and Lois.
Who is Eve Teschmacher?
(Left) Sara Sampaio in ‘Carga.’ (Right) Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher in ‘Superman.’ Photo: Warner Bros.
As opposed to many of the other Superman characters who got their start on the comics page or radio serials, Miss Teschmacher was created for 1978’s ‘Superman’ by director Richard Donner and writer Mario Puzo. Played in that film and sequel ‘Superman II’ by Valerie Perrine (where she was Lex Luthor’s associate), the character also since crossed over into the comics and has appeared in other DC spin-offs, including ‘Supergirl’.
When will ‘Superman: Legacy’ be in theaters?
The new Superman film is scheduled to be in theaters on July 11, 2025.
James Gunn in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
Nicholas Hoult will play Lex Luthor in ‘Superman: Legacy’.
James Gunn is directing the film, with David Corenswet as Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.
The film will be in theaters in 2025.
With the end of the actors’ strike, we’re now seeing a torrent of casting announcements, with names being attached to projects big and small all over Hollywood.
The latest is one that many had speculated one –– despite being rumored as a potential candidate to don the cape himself and play Superman, Nicholas Hoult has instead won the role of the hero’s main antagonist, the genius criminal Lex Luthor. Which feels like a good use of his particular style and charms.
James Gunn has written and will direct ‘Superman: Legacy,’ which though it will follow a couple of TV shows to screens is intended to spearhead his new take on the DC movie universe.
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What’s the story of ‘Superman: Legacy’?
(Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois Lane will already be an established reporting star.
Peter Safran said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
(Left) David Corenswet in Netflix’s ‘The Politician.’ (Right) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’
Gunn has already found both his Superman and Lois, as David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan were announced before the actors’ strike began.
Shortly after that, we learned that Isabela Merced nabbed the part of Hawkgirl, regular Gunn actor Nathan Fillion would be taking the role of Green Lantern Guy Gardner, with ‘Barry’s Anthony Carrigan winning the character of Metamorpho and ‘Twilight’ veteran Ed Gathegi aboard as Mister Terrific.
(Left) Isabela Merced in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Rosaline,’ exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios.(Center) Nathan Fillion at the premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ (Left) Edi Gathegi in ‘Aporia.’
More recently (as in, the last week or so), María Gabriela de Faría, who will play The Engineer. “Who?” we hear casual comic book fans asking… Angela Spica aka The Engineer. Part of the Warner/DC flick’s villain team, her powers stem from nanotechnology built into her body.
Created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, she’s the second DC character to bear the name of The Engineer and was first introduced in ‘The Authority vol.1 #1’ in 1999.
Hoult, of course, is known for movies such as ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ and ‘Warm Bodies’ and has comic book form playing Beast in the most recent ‘X-Men‘ movies for 20th Century Fox.
He will become just the latest person to play Luthor (Superman’s most famous enemy) on the big screen following Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey and, most recently, Jesse Eisenberg.
When will ‘Superman: Legacy’ be in theaters?
Gunn recently confirmed that the new Superman film is on track to still hit theaters on July 11, 2025.
Anthony Carrigan on HBO’s ‘Barry.’ Photograph by Courtesy of HBO.
James Gunn really is looking to some deep cuts to fill the character list of ‘Superman: Legacy’, the film he’s planning to kick off the big screen version of DC Studios’ output.
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How deep? Try classic DC character Metamorpho, who will be brought to life by ‘Barry’ actor Anthony Carrigan.
DC Comics’ Metamorpho. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.
Metamorpho, real name Rex Mason, was created by Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon in 1965. He can transmute elements in his body into various forms, taking those properties on as powers. After first being an archeologist, his abilities set him on the path of heroism. He later became a detective and a founding member of the supergroup known as the Outsiders.
Carrigan, who played NoHo Hank on Bill Hader’s successful HBO series (and has recently scored another Emmy nomination for the role) had already thought about the character before he got the role.
“I like comic books, but I’m not a diehard, but I did when all my hair fell out, go through the kind of pantheon of all of these bald superheroes and supervillains and made note of all of them. I remember seeing Metamorpho and I think he had, like, a giant like hammer for a hand and I was like, ‘that guy’s badass. Noted. We’ll store that one away.’ This character from what I’ve learned of the source material, he didn’t like the way he looked, and I can really relate to that. When he got his powers he thought it was a curse. That’s something that I really felt as well. In my case, I turned it around and saw it as a blessing. So, I’m excited to bring that to the table with this character.”
(Left) David Corenswet in Netflix’s ‘The Politician.’ (Right) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois will already be an established reporting star.
Peter Safran said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
‘Superman: Legacy’, which is scheduled to shoot early next year (which will hopefully put it beyond the strike shutdowns), should land in theaters on July 11th, 2025.
Anthony Carrigan on HBO’s ‘Barry.’ Photograph by Courtesy of HBO.
(Left) Isabela Merced in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Rosaline,’ exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios.(Center) Nathan Fillion at the premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ (Left) Edi Gathegi in ‘Aporia.’
Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced and Edi Gathegi are the new recruits (though in Fillion’s case, we somewhat suspect Gunn had been looking for a role for his regular collaborator before he even started the search for Supes.)
They’ll be playing Guy Gardner (a Green Lantern), Hawkgirl and Mister Terrific, respectively.
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Who is Guy Gardner?
Green Lantern Guy Gardner. Courtesy of DC Comics.
Fillion (who has appeared in many of Gunn’s previous movies, including ‘The Suicide Squad’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’) will be Gardner, one of the main ring bearers of the Green Lantern corps. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, he first appeared in the pages of Green Lantern #59, published in March 1968.
According to Vanity Fair’s Anthony Breznican, who broke the news of the latest casting, he’ll stay true to his comics background: Gardner is known as an abrasive, sometimes obnoxious presence (something we know Fillion can do while still be remaining fun). The character is known for his iconic bowl cut haircut, which will be a part of the actor’ look in the film.
Who is Hawkgirl?
Hawkgirl from DC Comics. Courtesy of DC Comics.
Merced, known for playing Dora The Explorer in ‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold’ is on to play Hawkgirl, a warrior who favors swords, spears, and maces. She’s been seen on TV in ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’, but this is a new actor and take on the character.
Who is Mister Terrific?
Mister Terrific (Michael Holt). Courtesy of DC Comics.
Finally, we have Gathegi (seen in the ‘Twilight’ movies and most recently on Apple TV+’s space drama ‘For All Mankind’), who has been cast as Mr. Terrific. Also known as Michael Holt, he’s not only a skilled combatant but one of the world’s most brilliant inventors and tacticians, orbited by the floating T-Sphere weapons he designed.
(Left) David Corenswet in Netflix’s ‘The Politician.’ (Right) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois will already be an established reporting star.
Peter Safran said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
‘Superman: Legacy’ is scheduled to land in theaters on July 11th, 2025 –– that’s right, just about two years from now. So, if long waits are your kryptonite, we can only apologize.
(Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.
On the big screen front, he’s developing a ‘Shang-Chi’ sequel which will return Simu Liu’s hero to theaters, and likely explore a dangerous dynamic from within his own family again.
He’s also busy working on new Disney+ series ‘American Born Chinese’, which, while it features no superheroes, draws from on a graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang and boasts a story rich in Chinese mythology. It also reunites Cretton with Michelle Yeoh and Stephanie Hsu, who both appeared in ‘Shang-Chi’.
But more directly in Marvel TV terms, Cretton is producing a ‘Wonder-Man’ Disney+ series, which has now hired Andrew Guest as its head writer.
In the comics, Wonder Man’s real name is Simon Williams, the son of a wealthy industrialist whose company falls on hard times due to competition from Tony Stark’s Stark Industries. As a result, Williams accepts an offer from villain Baron Zemo that gives him ionic superpowers including super strength and durability. After fighting the Avengers several times, Wonder Man ultimately joined their ranks.
While his history with Stark may still be referenced, the lack of Robert Downey Jr. and the character in the current MCU will likely require some retooling. Still, Marvel fans have been wondering when Williams might show up.
The Cast of Guardians of The Galaxy, from left to right, Michael Rooker as Yondu, Rocket, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Zoey Saldana as Gamora, Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, and Dave Bautista, Drax the Destroyer and Baby Groot photographed exclusively for Entertainment Weekly on May 23, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia.
James Gunn had planned to include easter egg posters featuring the character – with Nathan Fillion playing him – in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’, but the footage featuring the images ultimately ended up edited out.
Cretton will be a co-creator on the series with guest and, schedule permitting, may direct a few episodes.
As for Guest, he has his own MCU bona fides since he worked as a consulting producer/writer on ‘Hawkeye’. And he’s well versed in comedy, having worked on scripts for ‘Succession’, ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ and ‘Community’.
This marks just the latest development on the Disney+/Marvel front, as the company has a variety of new shows in the works. The hottest prospect for fans is the notion of Daredevil/Matt Murdock – played once more by Charlie Cox – and his nemesis Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) both coming back for a series about the Man Without Fear following their appearances in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and ‘Hawkeye’ respectively.
We also know about ‘Ironheart’ which has just started shooting, plus ‘Armor Wars’ and a ‘WandaVision’ spin-off based around Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness character.
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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Nathan Fillion is reteaming with director James Gunn for a role in “The Suicide Squad.”
Fillion and Gunn have previously worked together on “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Slither,” and “Super.”
Deadline reports Fillion’s role in “Suicide Squad” is being kept under wraps.
The actor currently stars in ABC’s “The Rookie,” which begins its second season next month, and previously headlined ABC’s “Castle” for eight seasons. He became a fan favorite for playing Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds on Joss Whedon’s sci-fi series “Firefly” and in the follow-up film “Serenity.”
