Suicide Squad was destroyed by most critics, but that didn't stop the fans from turning out in record numbers. While many agree that the film has some problems, my general feeling while watching it was one of disappointment. I was expecting something better, but what's more, what I saw was so close to being good, it was frustrating. The places where it misstepped were slight. They can be fixed.
Suicide Squad's box office success, and not the critics' response, is the thing that is going to result in a sequel happening. As such, we fully expect that there will be a sequel. This is a great thing. People who liked Suicide Squad will get to see more of it, but they also get a chance to make a few improvements to make Suicide Squad 2 something really special. Here are a few of our ideas.
Give Them A Better Villain
Enchantress is a great character, but she wasn't a good starting point for the Suicide Squad as far as antagonists go. These guys are "street level" heroes/villains, similar to Daredevil or Jessica Jones in the MCU, and they need an equivalent villain. They can still make the stakes high without the team having to actually save the world. Having the DCEU introduction of magic happen with a team like Suicide Squad is a choice that doesn't fit. Give these guys a violent psychopath to chase after, or a small country to overthrow, or protect. That's where this team can shine brightly.
Make It A Better Ensemble
Most people are saying the same things about the members of Task Force X. Margot Robbie and Will Smith are great, everybody else, much less so. There's a very simple reason this happened. Will Smith and Margot Robbie had the screen time to shine, while the rest did not. The movie is about them, not the team. There were some great characters here who should be able to do more. Maybe if everybody had equal screen time, then everybody would be receiving equal praise. It's supposed to be a team, right? We'd even like to see more of Jai Courtney.
Cut Them Off From Their Support
The concept of Suicide Squad was supposed to be that the "worst of the worst" have the skills to get the job done, but if things go bad, they can be disavowed. Then, they're given a babysitter in the form of Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and his platoon of soldiers. These guys completely cramp the Squad's style. So, in the sequel they should all be left completely on their own. Nobody to watch over them and tell them what to do or how to do it. Let the bad guys find their own way to get the job done, the way that bad guys would.
Add Some Internal Conflict
One of the things that felt wrong to me was how quickly the Suicide Squad gelled as a team. These are a bunch of bad guys used to working on their own. How did they become such fast friends? The sequel will surely add new members to the team. How about somebody who really doesn't want to be there, somebody who truly refuses to follow orders? He could have some specific skill or knowledge that makes killing him not an option, but he actively refuses to help. It could add some conflict that was sorely missing the first time around. They're bad guys, they should act more like it.
Leave The Joker At Home, Or Find Something Useful For Him To Do
The Joker appears to have been the most divisive character. Some loved him, others hated him. One thing seems clear, he didn't need to be there. Even if you enjoyed seeing him, one has to admit that he could be removed from the movie and the plot would be unaffected. Next time, maybe don't bother. Let him be the off-screen boogieman at most, otherwise, just ignore him entirely. If they're going to insist on including the Joker, as they likely will, then find something important for him to do that will actually impact the plot.
