Thomas Roach on whether Suicide Squad is too early in DC’s cinematic line-up…
Warner Bros. and DC have recently announced their cinematic line up all the way to 2020. One of the first properties coming out is Suicide Squad which is being helmed by Fury director David Ayer. This was probably the most surprising film announced in the line up as the Suicide Squad is made up of villains who form a covert operative team in order to lessen their criminal sentences. Having villainous characters as the focus is certainly a risk, but it will surely be a lot of fun.
However, having this property so early on in the franchise will have a few fans confused. We have all heard of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and many of the other DC properties but not everyone knows much about the Suicide Squad. The general filmgoing public will possibly be scratching their heads when the first trailer hits. Although Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was a relatively unknown comic and that has now become the third highest grossing Marvel Studios film to date.
That being said, Guardians of the Galaxy was the tenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and audiences had got to known the brand over six years. So far in the DC film franchise we have only had Man of Steel, we’ll get Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in March 2016,followed by Suicide Squad in August 2016. It does seem a gamble to use an unknown property so early on when building a cinematic universe.
It is also worth mentioning that Suicide Squad has a release in August which is now the prime summer spot. This could either make the film or break it. As it is unknown to most fans many people may ignore it and favour other wel- known films coming out at around the same time. Maybe Suicide Squad should have come out in March before all the competition starts? Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice could have taken its place as that certainly would beat off competition with ease in August, but then having Suicide Squad as the second film in the franchise would leave the audience somewhat confused too. A release date switch could still happen but I seriously doubt it. Fans would not like Batman v Superman pushed back any further, and placing Suicide Squad in the March 2016 slot puts a major time constraint on the filmmakers.
It has also been reported that A-listers such as Ryan Gosling and Will Smith are in talks to star in Suicide Squad. There is no way of knowing if this is a rumour or if this is true, but it would be wise for the studio to use A list stars. As this property is such a risk, filling it with bankable movie stars may ensure the success of the film. Even if the film is terrible but has A-list stars attached the masses will flock to the cinema to check it out.
Suicide Squad is undoubtedly a risk for DC and Warner. Essentially they have arrived late to the party and need to avoid copying what Marvel properties have done over the past few years. Personally I think Suicide Squad will be a great addition to the series of films in the DC movie universe – sure it may be more niche than many of the other properties they are developing, but the risk is going to be worth it. If it doesn’t pay off they can learn from their mistakes and move on. It’s not the end of the world.
Are you excited for the Suicide Squad movie? Let us know your thoughts…
Thomas Roach
Originally published October 24, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
