You don't get it, son. This isn't a email service, it's a blog and we're the bloggers! We are the Caped Informers. Here to inform you on all current comic related news.
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice certainly did not get the beloved reception Warner Bros was hoping for. So who is gonna come to save the DCEU's future? Why DC Comics' myriad of amazing villains of course! The newest trailer for David Ayer's bad guy team up flick first appeared online after the airing of MTV's Movie Awards. So far it's receiving a lot of praise online just like it's two previous teasers. Check it out!
My TOP 5 Takeaways
1. MARGOT ROBBIE is a force in every clip I've seen from this movie so far. Her line about "being vexing" was so classic Harley it hurts. Also seeing Harley putting her shirt on was a touch too ;).
2. I love how us the audience has no idea how the Joker is involved in this story. That was a major problem with Batman V Superman. Even before the Doomsday reveal in the second trailer, the audience knew that the big two would fight, makeup, become pals, then take down an enemy, and the credits would roll. Suicide Squad however, much like the Joker, is completely unpredictable. All we know is that Waller forms a team and shit goes down. Also Leto's Joker reminds me more of Mark Hamill's than Heath Ledger's. His scene where he threatens a dude who is "chit-chatting" reminded me of this:
3. El Diablo isn't a super famous or beloved DC comic character. So it was cool to see him get a funny character moment along with Will Smith's Deadshot. I'm excited to see how the team utilizes his flame powers.
4. When the first picture of the Squad came out last year I kind of shat all over Killer Croc's look. Well consider this an apology Mr. Ayer cause your practical Croc has looked great on screen in all 3 trailers so far. I loved that shot of his lizard-like eyelids closing. Also the more and more I see of this Croc the more it reminds me of the old Batman The Animated Series one.
5. Last week everyone on the internet got their panties in a bunch because a report came out that reshoots for Suicide Squad were happening in order to add more humor. Well this trailer should refute those BS rumors. There seems to be plenty of humor in this film already. Squad stories have always had humor come from their interactions between their over the top villains and this trailer shows us a bunch of that.
BONUS: I need more Batfleck in everything. His Batman was the absolute highlight of BVS. So as you can imagine, I can't wait for him to come face to face with villains like Joker, Harley, and Croc. Also Zack Snyder has stated that Batman put most of the Squad members in prison. So these baddies have vendettas against the Bat. Seeing more of him in this trailer, especially when he is equipped with a Bat Breather no less, brings me absolute joy.
Also I love this nod to Greg Capullo's Endgame Joker. What a beautiful image!
Lastly, reshoots are not always a bad thing. All Marvel movies schedule them. This is not a Josh Trank situation where David Ayer has been fired and Zack Snyder is picking up the pieces. What these reshoots are is a chance to add more action and strengthen character arcs. The latter is definitely something BVS needed.
Whose is pumped for Suicide Squad? What are your favorite moments of the trailers? Does anything worry you? Sound off in the comments and until next time...
David Ayer (Training Day) just dropped a bombshell on Twitter. The director has released the SDCC teaser trailer that was shown in Hall H on Saturday morning. Only select few were meant to see it, but due to so many low quality pirated versions online, Ayer decided to release the footage in a higher quality. Check the greatness.
Top 5
1. Jared Leto looks and sounds amazing. Dude is already a master creep. Scooper Supreme El Mayimbe has said his sources on the Suicide Squad set have told him that Leto is knocking this performance out of the park. This 5 seconds of him confirms that.
2. The Wall is The Wall. Viola Davis isn't playing it nice. She is gonna force these super criminals to do what she desires. Ever the antagonist.
3. Will Smith looks game for the first time in a long while. If 7 years ago, you told me Will Smith would be in a superhero movie not called Hancock I would have been a 100% in. But since around 2009, when Will stopped doing great movies and instead just started promoting his kids to the masses, I have been hesitant to be excited for any project he is in. Forget that shit. He looks like classic WS in these 3 minutes.
4. Big props to Killer Croc's look. When the first official pic came out I gave his practical design some shit. It looks much better on film than I anticipated.
5. Margot Robbie is the X-Factor. She could become the next Groot or Rocket if the movie does well. So far from what we have seen, I'm digging her portrayal.
Bonus: Jai Courtney didn't suck! Letting Aussie be an Aussie was a good idea.
Thanks for reading! What did you think of the footage? Specifically the Joker. Sound off in the comments or tweet us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for all our TV + moviereviews. as well as our editorials.
Director David Ayer (Fury) just dropped the first official photo of the main cast of Suicide Squad. Take a gander at Task Force X...
6 Takeaways:
1. Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Boomer, and Rick Flagg all look great. Margot Robbie seems to poised to break out of this movie as the fan favorite character. Harley Quinn is gonna be everywhere when this flick comes out. She will be 2016's Groot.
2. If that is Killer Croc, it disappoints the shit out of me. I wanted a more mutant Croc (Like Jim Lee's in Hush or Arkham Asylum's) instead of the Brian Azzarello version from Joker from which this one is clearly inspired. My boy Adewale is behind the makeup though so that definitely makes me less upset. His take on the character should be cool to see.
3. Well hello there Katana! Didn't expect you to show up in this. Rumor was Karen Fukuhara was going to play Flash villainess, Plastique. Instead she is picking up the soul taker sword as Katana. Maybe this could help set up an adaptation of Green Arrow's Outsider War, where Katana was head of the sword clan. Maybe she is just gonna be there to kick ass and die. Whatever the reason it's just really cool and unexpected for this character show up.
4. Enchantress looks like a combination of the girl from The Ring and the Black Bride from Insidious. Somebody needs to clean that bitch up.
5. Love the nod to Belle Reve prison. With Arkham also confirmed, it sounds like we will be getting a tour of DC's most popular prisons. Can't wait for them to show up at Iron Heights.
6. The overall look is certainly different than I anticipated, but you know what I dig. They aren't meant to look clean cut and nice. They are supposed to look like people that would stab you then fuck your corpse in an alley. So I'm in.
Thanks for reading! What do you think of this look for the Suicide Squad? Do you love Harley Quinn? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow,Flash, and Daredevilreviews. Suicide Squad hits theaters August 2016.
P.S. Where the fuck is Killer Croc's hat?
UPDATE: Check out Will Smith's Deadshot in full costume.
David Ayer keeps tweeting out gold. Moments ago he dropped this photo of a green haired Jared Leto as an homage to Alan Moore's famous Batman story "The Killing Joke".
Wow! That is awesome. Rumors that Joker killed Jason Todd in this universe are swirling. Could he have paralyzed Barbara Gordon as well? Whatever the case, when Batman and The Joker do finally meet up in this universe they are going to have some serious history.
I can't wait till we finally get a Joker + Harley photo. That shit is gonna be gorgeous.
Suicide Squad doesn't come out until August 2016, but the hype is high right now! Leto is gonna kill it!
Green Hair!
Thanks for reading! What do you think of the events of Killing Joke having possibly occurred in the DCCU? Would you dye your hair green? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow,Flash, and Daredevil reviews.
Suicide Squad is revving up it's production schedule and to celebrate director David Ayer (Fury) just tweeted out this gem.
This shot is of the first cast script read through. Who wouldn't wanna be the fly on the wall in this room? Or a fly on the wall in any room Margot Robbie is in for that matter. One thing to note is that Jared Leto aka The Clown Prince of Crime is absent from the picture. Not to worry though JarBear Instagramed a picture of his pale completion from the Toronto set earlier this week so I expect he isn't too far away. As for the cast that is there, Will Smith popped on a Phillies' hat for this pic and I instantly like him again. Dude has charisma out the ass, but his ego and questionable parenting (Jaden and Willow should be locked in Arkham) have hurt him the last few years. Let's hope this movie gets this guy's career back on track cause I want to like him again. More MIB Will Smith and less After Earth Will Smith. Suicide Squad begins filming soon and will hit theaters August 2016. P.S. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje could Eddie Murphy this movie and play every role and I would watch the shit out of it.
UPDATE: Latino Review Scooper El Mayimbe is reporting that Jim Parrack (True Blood) is now playing Deathstroke instead of Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike). Parrack is the guy standing second from the right in the picture above.
Apparently Joe Manganiello is too busy filming Pee Wee's Netflix series to be Deathstroke. Real clown move, bro. Joe, I thought you were a comic fan? Missing out on being a badass assassin role to hang out with a dude who jacks off in movie theaters is a real swing and a miss.
Hell, even Pee Wee Herman didn't miss his chance to be in a comic book movie. He was Penguin's dad in Batman Returns. He didn't speak a word and attempted to drown his newborn baby, but it still counts.
Anyway Jim Parrack is a fine replacement. I liked the dude as Howt/Bubba on True Blood. So I'm on board with him taking up the mantle of Deathstroke. Joe's lose is Jim's gain.
Multiple outlets have reported that Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) is eyeing the role of the Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker, in DC/WB's upcoming Suicide Squad film. The word on the street is that WB wanted Ryan Gosling (Drive) for the role, but he was unwilling to sign a deal that spanned multiple films. Now it seems Leto is their man. Yesterday he was interviewed by the Hollywood Reporter in which he said "I do [have my eye on one project.] I am excited about what's happening. There are incredible opportunities and I'm very grateful for them. I'm looking forward to making films again now that the tour is wrapping up. It's going to be an exciting 2015."When asked for further details on the project Leto responded "I've sworn to keep my mouth shut but I think that very shortly there will be something to talk about, that's for sure." The trade went on to confirm that the "exciting project" is Suicide Squad. So throw Leto into the mix of actors rumored for David Ayer's film alongside Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Tom Hardy, and Jesse Eisenberg reprising his Lex Luthor. Talk about an all star cast. Suicide Squad is hitting theaters August 5th, 2016.
HOLY SHIT!! This is exciting news. I enjoy Leto's work and I believe he could definitely provide a fun new take on the iconic character. His Joker should be more fun-loving (If you count mass murder as a fun nighttime activity) than Heath's. More Mark Hamill Joker if you will.
David Ayer reportedly has recently written in The Joker into his version of the script. So I hope Mr. J's role is antagonistic to the Squad rather than being a member. His inclusion in the film also allows for an easy avenue to introduce Harley Quinn and their amazing Joker-Harley interactions. Maybe Ayer will take inspiration from Batman: Assault on Arkham. Cause I would love this see this scene in live action.
Jesse Eisenberg is reportedly reprising his role of Lex Luthor in the flick (Which I wrote a piece about which can be read by clicking here). That means we could have a Joker and Lex World Finest-style team up! Now that is fucking sexy. I would be just as excited to see that as I will be to see Batman and Superman team up earlier that year. DC duos for days.
Lastly if Jared does play Joker that means Batman once killed The Joker. Let's look at the tape!
Who is Aquaman?: Arthur Curry was born on the surface world and later became King of Atlantis. Half-human and half-Atlantean, he struggles to choose between his two homelands. His powers are often misunderstood by the general public making them think of him as a joke, but in reality Arthur is anything but.
Director: Matt Reeves (Dawn Of the Planet of the Apes) Why?: Atlantis needs to be fully realized. It should be beautiful. In his last film, Matt Reeves created a beautiful world for his ape characters to live in. I think he can do the same for the Atlanteans. He has extensive work with special effects and knows how to tell a good story while maintaining character development. I mean his lead character in Dawn was an ape (Ceasar) who only spoke a few words at a time, but you entirely sympathize and understood Ceasar's character because of the way Reeves told the story. He is a craftsman and DC should have him onboard for at least one of their films.
Proposed Story:Arthur Curry must choose between living on the surface world or return to Atlantis and rule as their king. He is greatly distressed by the harsh treatment given to the oceans during his time as ruler of Atlantis (World Engine in Indian Ocean?), and he deciding whether to give up the Atlantean throne or return to full-time heroics. However, he now struggles with his lack of reputation with the greater public on land, which views him as a lesser superhero with less impressive powers than those of his peers like Superman. Meanwhile Aquaman's arch nemesis Black Manta breaks open a deep trench on the ocean floor releasing a horde of fish monsters called "The Trench". Aquaman must stop "The Trench" from destroying the surface world before he loses his birth home. All while Manta and his crew infiltrate Atlantis in hopes to destroy the other home of his hated enemy.
Inspired By:Once again a Geoff Johns storyline should inspire another DCCU film. This time John's The Trench written back in 2011 is the main influence on the overall story and treatment of the main characters.
Lead Characters (Cast):
1. Aquaman/ Arthur Curry (Jason Mamoa)
Why?: Arthur should be a man torn between two worlds. Now with the casting of Jason Mamoa, I'm scared that his personality will be "Conan under water" like on Justice League: The Animated Series. That Aquaman was a badass, but not as compelling or interesting as the Arthur from comics. I want that Arthur. I also want to see people make fun of Aquaman's powers right to his face and then have Jason Mamoa shut them all up by displaying badassery.
2. Mera (Eva Green)
Why?: Mera may be Aquaman's girlfriend (or wife depending on continuity), but she is a strong independent woman in her own right. With her power to control water and her fiery attitude she can more than take care of herself. I picked Eva Green (Penny Dreadful) because she is a chameleon of an actress and is known for playing strong female roles.
Villains (Cast)
1. Black Manta (Will Smith)
Why?: I casted Smith in my recent Suicide Squad write-up (click link at bottom of article to read), so I decided to keep continuity and have him remain as Manta. He is the big bad and his vendetta against Arthur can be revealed throughout the movie. (There are many versions for why he hates Aquaman. Pick any one)
I want Manta's raid to be like his one on the Young Justice episode "Downtime". Replace Kaldur with Arthur though of course.
2. Orm/Ocean Master (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau)
Why?: Aquaman's half-brother and the man who told Black Manta about the trench. Orm is seen as a good brother throughout the movie until the end when it is revealed to the audience that he helped plan the attack on Atlantis in order to show Arthur as an incompetent leader. Leading Arthur to be removed from the throne, so that Orm can take his place. I chose Jamie Lannister as Orm because he can play both good (Jamie seasons 3-4) and bad (Jamie Season 1-2) sides of characters.
3. The Trench (CGI)
Why?: The Trench don't speak English, but often yell in their own language (Mostly about food). They will all be CGI and any voice actor can speak their fairy tale language.
The 12 days of Editorials continues tomorrow with a write-up on Batman! Be sure to check back here then to see it for yourself! And read our first 3 articles on the DCCU by clicking the links below.
It took all my strength not to include Aqualad (Kaldur'am) and Topo in this movie because I love those characters. Perhaps they could be seen in a sequel. By the way if you haven't seen Geoff John's revamp of Topo, here it is in all it's glory.
What is the Suicide Squad?: The Suicide Squad (created by John Ostrander and Ryan Scott) is an antihero team of incarcerated supervillains who act as deniable assets for the United States government, undertaking high-riskblack ops missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences. The group operates out of Belle Reve Penitentiary, under the directorship of Dr. Amanda Waller. (Thank you for explaining that so eloquently Wikipedia!)
Director: David Ayer (Fury)
Why?: Last month rumors of a David Ayer helmed Suicide Squad movie hit the internet. Immediately I became excited about the prospects of such a film. David Ayer is known for dark and gritty movies like End of Watch and Training Day. The man even created Denzel Washington's best character Alonzo Harris. That's right he wrote the line "King Kong ain't got shit on me!" and now he'll be directing some of DC's best villains. What's not to love about that? But on a more serious note, Ayer has recently worked on a more ensemble drama titled Fury about a tank crew in Nazi Germany. The flick and especially it's ensemble cast are getting rave reviews (I haven't seen it yet, but I have heard). Suicide Squad is completely dependent around a director who can lead an ensemble cast to an interesting dynamic and with his resume I think David Ayer fits the bill.
Proposed Story:Amanda Waller assembles Task Force X to retrieve the body of alien invader General Zod from Lexcorp. (Rumor is Lex has Zod's body and it will play a role in Batman V Superman)
Inspired By:Batman: Assault on Arkham includes several of the members I will suggest and is a fun heist movie while still remaining considerably dark. I feel that tone matches the Squad and it's members perfectly.
Squad Members (Cast): The Suicide Squad has had many different villains fill it's ranks over the years. Personally I think picking the Squad's roster is most important component of this movie. Ayer can't just throw absolute nobodies out there like Guardians of the Galaxy did. DC films haven't yet earn the credibility Marvel movies have so there is less room for error. Recently Latino Review's El Mayimbe released a list of 7 squad members he saw in one draft of a Squad script. Not gonna lie, the list is rough. (Mindblogger and Jaculi? Are you serious?) Yes it takes influence from the John Ostrander days and thats cool and all, but this movie needs more DC firepower. Especially because it is connected to the greater universe. Instead it could be a great time to introduce some high profile villains before they debut in other heroes' flicks. Then throw in a few low end villains that you can kill off because remember people always die on these missions. (Ain't called the Suicide Squad for nothing). I also decided to leave Rick Flag Jr. out of the mix. I prefer our villains to have a bit more freedom when they are on the mission and Rick brings more order to the crew. Finally, I incorporated actors who are rumored to be in talks to join the movie (Tom Hardy, Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling) and used them to cast the main four roles. The I will provide a grab bag of other of my favorite potential members.
1. Deadshot/Floyd Lawton (Gosling, Hardy, or Smith)
I've been leading this team all night ya douchbag!
Why?: Deadshot is a mainstay in the Squad and their most consistent leader. It ain't Task Force X without him. He will be the main character of this flick and is why I believe that the movie should use his origin that includes a daughter. This will make him a bit more sympathetic, but of course won't affect the fact that he is a badass hired assassin.
Now any of the actors above could knock this role out of the park. Some people believe Will Smith (Hancock) will be Floyd because he always plays the "good guy" and Deadshot is the closet thing to it in this movie. I think Smith would bring the character justice, but I would prefer Tom Hardy (Warrior) play him. Hardy recently excelled in a similar role in The Drop, playing Bob Saginowski. In the end though if Ryan Gosling (Drive) signs on he will be the lead. Just a feeling I have. People love that guy.
2. Harley Quinn/Harleen Quninzel (Margot Robbie)
"Don't you wanna rev your Harley?"
Why?: Harley's inclusion into the Squad has divided comic fans, but I believe she is needed. She is a valuable commodity. She brings diversity and popularity to the team while simultaneously letting the general audience know that the Joker (another fan favorite character) exists in this universe. Her personality also allows for moments of hilarity and flashes of ultra-violence that create fun interplay with her other teammates. That is something neither of the supposed female leads, Vixen and Mindblogger, can provide. Not to mention that her popularity among comics fans is ready to break into the mainstream and this film is the perfect opportunity.
Peanut Butter is meant to go with jelly, the sky is meant to be blue, and Margot Robbie is destined to play Harley Quinn. I didn't think of it before she was rumored last week, but nothing in life has ever made more sense. Robbie burst onto the scene in last year's The Wolf of Wall Street as Leo Dicaprio's wife Naomi. She held her own alongside a star studded cast and even nailed a Brooklyn accent (a key component to Harley). Robbie is a no brainer to portray Harley Quinn.
3. Black Manta (Will Smith)
"Aquaman is MINE!!"
Why?: Manta is Aquaman's arch nemesis and will most likely factor into the King of Atlantis' solo movie in 2018. So I see this film as a perfect opportunity to set up the character for that outing. He was just very recently added to the Suicide Squad's roster so it's not a completely out of the box pick. He also possesses an unique skill set to add to the team. (Underwater shit, son)
Like I said before Will Smith usually plays good guys, but this is his chance to break that trend. He hasn't had a hit in quite some time so maybe it's time to do something different. It's time to embrace the evil Will.
4. Captain Boomerang/George Harkness (Hardy)
"Hoist a pint with us, mate"
Why?: Boomer is a member of Flash's Rogues and also a frequent inclusion into the Squad. I mainly want him to be involved because his attitude (occasional racist and frequent pain in the ass) leads him to bumps heads with his teammates. Friction among the team always makes for a much more interesting story. And once again this could set up his character for a future appearance. Such as in 2018's The Flash movie if need be.
Hardy is extremely versatile and could nail the part of this annoying Aussie. He will most likely be Deadshot if Gosling doesn't sign on, but if pretty boy does nut up and join, Boomer is a fun part that Hardy could do a lot with.
5+6+7. (Pick Any 3)
Vixen: Usually a hero she was forced into the Squad, she has a necklace that can mimic the powers of any animal on Earth.
King Shark: Could definitely add muscle, this cannibal is a fun (and expendable) addition to the Squad.
The Clock King: Tockman was once part of the team, but so was fellow Clock King Temple Fugate (The DC animated version). Fugate's job was to keep the team on a precision schedule and help set up the plans.
Black Spider: Many incarnations. Could use any. Could kill off easily.
Plastique: Can make shit explode. Adds another female member and is a good candidate to betray the team.
Bronze Tiger: Used to butt heads with Boomerang. Provides more muscle.
Killer Frost: Kept her out of the main cast because I wanted to save ice powers (or guns) for Captain Cold or Mr. Freeze, but any incarnation of her brings a cold blooded killer who shows absolutely no mercy.
Antagonists/Villains
1. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis)
"No one messes with the Wall!"
Why?:Waller is of course in command of the Squad. Her mission is to retrieve Zod's body which Cadmus will be using to find Superman's weaknesses. I want our audience cheering against her and cheering for our villainous squad to fuck her over.
Davis is a strong actress who character in How To Get Away With Murder reminds me a bit of Waller.
2. Deathstroke/Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett)
"I made you a promise kid"
Why?: Slade's popularity has soared after appearing on Arrow and in the video games Arkham Origins and Injustice: Gods Among Us. It's time to cash in now. Slade could be working security for Luthor by protecting the body of the Kryptonian. Imagine a fight of the Squad vs Slade. Who doesn't want to see that?
Casted Manu Bennett because at this point who is gonna play Slade better?
3. Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg)
"Krypton sucks"
Why?: It would be a small appearance because since the team is breaking into his company it would make sense. His appearance would a show a pre-established character and future show the cohesiveness of DC's cinematic universe.
Eisenberg has already been chosen as Lex and I hope he does a wonderful job with the character in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.
Thanks for reading! Those are my thoughts on Suicide Squad. What is your Squad lineup? What's their mission? Sound off in the comments.
Make sure to check out the next 11 days of Exploring the DC Cinematic Universe. A different DC movie each day. Next up is Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman. You can also check out our entire schedule by clicking here.
