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James Gunn explains why Harley Quinn’s ‘rotten’ tattoo is absent in The Suicide Squad

June 29, 2021 by Gary Collinson

While James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad has been pushed as more of a reboot or fresh take on the source material as opposed to a sequel to David Ayer’s 2016 movie, the filmmaker has retained a number of the already established elements, including characters such as Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flag), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) and of course, the fan-favourite Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie).

However, with regards to the latter, there is one particular change that Gunn has made to Harley for her latest outing – namely the removal of her ‘Rotten’ facial tattoo. And the reason for this change? Well, it’s quite simple:

“Margot didn’t like it and found out I also didn’t like it so we decided just to remove it,” said Gunn during an Instagram fan Q&A, before clarifying that the removal is “not addressed” in the movie in any capacity.

SEE ALSO: The Suicide Squad gets a brand new trailer and poster

As it happens, this isn’t the first facial tattoo from Ayer’s Suicide Squad movie to get the laser removal treatment this year, as Jared Leto’s Joker was no longer spotting his equally rotten “Damaged” tattoo for his recent cameo appearance in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

Welcome to hell—a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out—even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today’s do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave…and Amanda Waller’s government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them—all of them.

The Suicide Squad sees James Gunn directing a cast that includes Suicide Squad returnees Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang), Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flag) and Viola Davis (Amanda Waller) as well as new DCEU additions Idris Elba, Peter Capaldi, Alice Braga, Nathan Fillion, Taika Waititi, Jennifer Holland, David Dastmalchian, Joaquín Cosío, Mayling Ng, Flula Borg, Juan Diego Botto, Storm Reid, John Cena, Pete Davidson, Tinashe Kajese, Daniela Melchior, Julio Ruiz, Steve Agee, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn, and Sylvester Stallone.

 

Filed Under: Gary Collinson, Movies, News Tagged With: DC, DC Extended Universe, James Gunn, Margot Robbie, the suicide squad

About Gary Collinson

Gary Collinson is a film, television and digital content writer and producer, and the founder and editor-in-chief of the pop culture media brand Flickering Myth. As a producer, his work includes the gothic horror feature The Baby in the Basket and suspense thriller Death Among the Pines, and he is also the author of the book Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen.

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