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The DC Extended Universe is a tricky place, with Warner Bros. adapting its strategies with the release of each new movie. The next installment in the franchise is James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, which served as a sequel/reboot to the 2017 original. Joel Kinnaman is one of the actors reprising their role in the R-rated blockbuster, and the Altered Carbon star recently explained why he was so surprised by the completed theatrical cut.
While the general public will have to wait until August to see The Suicide Squad in all of its glory, it seems that James Gunn has been sharing the completed film with select members of the cast and crew. Joel Kinnaman is playing Rick Flag for the second time, and described his various moments of surprise while watching the DC flick, saying:
But then I think what really surprised me was, I was struck by how well it flowed. But also how he was able to create these little bubbles, these little moments of emotional depth and visual and emotional poetry. And I felt like it really transcended the genre, and it became something bigger. And then it’s also very silly, and ridiculous in many ways and super violent. Just gory almost at times. And it has shocking moments, but they are very comedic. At the end of the movie, it’s completely normal seeing this giant shark just standing gnawing on a person’s head, and some of the people just having a conversation next to it… When you’re one hour and 50 minutes into Suicide Squad, that’s going to feel completely normal. It’s so irreverent.
Can The Suicide Squad get here already? Because while James Gunn is playing with high concepts like a kaiju and various creatures, it seems that the movie isn’t bogged down by the source material. Instead it's surreal, funny, and visually poetic. Luckily the wait is nearly over.
Joel Kinnaman’s comments to Variety show what it’s really like from within the DC Extended Universe. While he’s obviously privy to the events of The Suicide Squad, the finished product managed to take Kinnaman by surprise. One can only imagine how fans are going to react-- especially with James Gunn at the helm.
The Suicide Squad will be available on HBO Max at the same time as theaters. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
With the above quote, Joel Kinnaman makes The Suicide Squad sound like a total trip-- including the highly anticipated violnce of the movie. The film’s R-rating allowed Gunn to go HAM with gore and language, which seems to be at least part of what will make the blockbuster a success. Plus there’s going to be a mixture of drama, heart, and comedy.
Anticipation for The Suicide Squad has been steadily building since it was first announced that James Gunn was attached to direct. Given his acclaimed work in the genre with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, moviegoers can’t wait to see what he’ll do with DC. We'll also see the return of characters like Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.
It should be interesting to see how Joel Kinnaman’s character Rick Flag is handled in The Suicide Squad. He was ultra serious in the 2017 original, and focused on saving his love interest June. But the trailer for James Gun’s movie put him into the comedy, so perhaps he’s loosened up a bit.
The Suicide Squad is currently set to arrive in theaters and HBO Max on August 6th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
