With little warning, writer-director James Gunn revealed what appears to be the full cast list for his upcoming DC film The Suicide Squad. If you want to see what it looks like when a casting director reaches their hand in a bag full of random names and makes it into a movie, look no further.
The cast list, in order as Gunn presented, is as following: David Dastmalchian, John Cena, Jai Courtney, Joaquin Cosio, Nathan Fillion, Joel Kinnaman, Mayling Ng, Flula Borg, Sean Gunn, Juan Diego Botto, Storm Reid, Pete Davidson, Taika Waititi, Alice Braga, Steve Agee, Tinashe Kajese, Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi, Julio Ruiz, Jennifer Holland, Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, and Michael Rooker.
It’s a mix of returning DC veterans and newcomers, with experienced performers and Hollywood newbies alike. Previously reported were David Dastmalchian as Polka Dot Man, Nathan Fillion, Taika Waititi, and Idris Elba. Robbie, who will also appear in Birds of Prey, returns alongside Kinnaman, Courtney, and Davis. A solid cast, but we need to talk about everyone new to the universe.
Of course, Sean Gunn and Michael Rooker are here as Gunn alumni, but never in my life would I think to put Oscar-winning former Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi alongside… Pete Davidson? And there’s something about John Cena’s stature in the business that makes his casting in almost anything feel like a meme. A lot of my peers, meanwhile, are excited about Flula Borg’s presence, having gotten his start as a YouTube personality. It’s also worth mentioning that there’s a lot of Latinx representation in the cast. Altogether, the internet is likely going wild with speculation on who each of these performers are portraying. Of course, Gunn reminds us to not get too attached, because as is tradition in Suicide Squad stories, not everyone makes it back by the end.
We’ll see who lives and dies when The Suicide Squad releases in theaters on August 6, 2021.
Don’t get too attached. #TheSuicideSquad pic.twitter.com/uITPhrDzz2
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) September 13, 2019