After two films released under the DC Extended Universe, Warner Bros. Pictures was still looking at options on expanding their superhero franchise. With the grim and gritty approach given to “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” decided to go full R-rating on 2016’s “Suicide Squad,” a movie featuring the titular black-ops task force of criminals and super-villains controlled by a manipulative intelligence official. Despite negative reviews it was a blockbuster and technical-category award-winner, making a breakout star of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn who starred in her own spinoff in 2020. A sequel was also green-lighted under director James Gunn, with its first trailer shown this weekend.

Variety has it that, as promised by Warner Bros. and James Gunn towards the end of last week, the first trailer for the sort-of sequel to the same-named 2016 film. And like the original, it is as bloody violent as all else, well worth the R-rating it was shooting for. Both returning and new DC super-villains are in on the action, from DCEU veteran Margot Robbie as Harley once again, to newcomers John Cena and Sylvester Stallone (or his voice at least), ready for a new, dis-avowable mission where their hurriedly-assembled team is readily expendable.

The first scene on the trailer, as posted by Gunn on his Twitter, absolutely screams “Suicide Squad” as interpreted in the DCEU franchise, ludicrous violence and humor both straight and twisted. There is the new Suicide Squad/Task Force X roster led by team leader Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and under observation by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) on an op to rescue Harley Quinn from her cartel captors. Cue Harley strolling out in a dress and bloodied mouth just as the new guys scale the hideout.

From there things just get increasingly bizarre, as the Squad take on a seeming paramilitary outfit while trying to stand each other long enough to finish the mission. Of the new Squad members, Idris Elba’s high-tech merc Bloodsport takes the spot of Will Smith’s Deadshot. Cena’s Peacemaker is a militant pacifist pushing a “peace-at-all-costs” agenda while dressed as a retro superhero. King Shark (Steve Agee with Stallone’s voice) is a cannibal human-shark hybrid. Kinnaman, Robbie and Jai Courtney’s Boomerang are the old-timers running herd on the new crew, as they encounter, towards the end of the trailer, a giant starfish “kaijuu” familiar to DC Comics fans as the alien Starro.

With James Gunn of the MCU’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” at the helm, having an alien be the big bad for disposable super-villains forced to play antiheroes for reduced prisons sentences seems par for the course. “The Suicide Squad” from Warner Bros. premieres August 6.

Image courtesy of Screen Rant

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