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The DC Extended Universe has a way of making headlines, most recently through the unprecedented release of Zack Snyder's Justice League. The next installment in the main canon James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, which boasts a massive cast of familiar faces. This includes SNL alum Pete Davison, who is making his comic book debut as Blackguard. And he recently shared the funny way director James Gunn convinced him to join the villain-centric property.
Aside from his tenure in Saturday Night Live, Pete Davidson has been proving himself as a capable film actor over the past few years. He's starred in projects like The King of Staten Island, although The Suicide Squad is his biggest movie in regards to sheer scale and budget. His character Blackguard isn't exactly a household name, and Davidson explained how he got involved, saying:
I love superhero movies and I'm a huge James Gunn fan. And I got a call from James Gunn, he was like, ‘There's this role for you in the movie. And you play a guy named Richard Hertz.’ And I was like ‘Dick Hertz. I'm in!’ Yeah, that's his real name. My character's name is Dick Hertz. And I was like, ‘Dude, that's the greatest. That's so awesome.’ And yeah, he was nice enough to let me be in it. It's a thing I still can't believe, it's like ridiculous.
Well, that's one way to assemble the perfect cast. Aside from being psyched for the opportunity join a superhero movie, Pete Davison was instantly won over by James Gunn's elevator pitch. Namely because it involved a penis joke. Clearly Gunn knows his audience.
Pete Davidson's comments come from his recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The two SNL alums spoke about a variety of subjects, before the conversation eventually turned to The Suicide Squad. Anticipation for the project is at a fever pitch, as the recent trailers revealed more wild footage. Luckily it's just a few months away, so we can see exactly how Davidson's Dick Hertz (lol) factors into the story. Plus, if he makes it out alive.
The Suicide Squad will hit HBO Max the same day as theaters. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
The 2016 original Suicide Squad movie was directed by David Ayer, although the filmmaker has been open about how much the studio interfered with his original plans for the project. James Gunn is bringing his unique director's vision for The Suicide Squad, which will feature a massive cast of villains to make up Task Force X. The most recent trailer for the DC flick can be seen below.
James Gunn's involvement in The Suicide Squad came to the delight of comic book fans, who saw what he was capable of with Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. He's once again taking a scrappy group of unknown characters, and putting them in an over the top adventure. Except his upcoming DC debut is rated R, which will open up new opportunities regarding dialogue, action, and violence.
Pete Davidson's Blackguard is one of the many newcomers joining the franchise with The Suicide Squad, alongside a handful of actor that are reprising their role from the original. Said returning players are Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Viola Davis (Amanda Waller), Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flag), and Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang). And there's no telling how many members of Task Force X fall before the mission is complete.
The Suicide Squad will arrive in theaters and HBO Max on August 6th. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.
