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TRAILER: Suicide Squad #3

Not gonna lie – I had no idea there was another Suicide Squad trailer coming. I thought we were completely done with the clips aside from a few TV spots here and there. So you can imagine my surprise when we got a new glimpse at the film during last night’s MTV Movie Awards. Take a look at the third trailer for Suicide Squad below.

I’ve been pumped for Suicide Squad since I first heard the film’s announcement, and these trailers are only making me more excited. A lot of people are hating on the film already because of certain aspects such as the Joker being portrayed in a different manner, or Deadshot being black, or the fact that Batman v Superman didn’t do that well with critics. Side note: I personally thought Batman v Superman was good – not as spectacular as the hardcore DC fans are making it out to be, but I also think the critics are being a little too harsh on the film. At the same time, I think that the concept of an anti-DC or anti-Zack Snyder conspiracy is absolutely ridiculous. But I digress. Suicide Squad looks like it’ll be fantastic, and I can see it getting much better reception than its predecessor.

The biggest challenges surrounding the film involve the casting choices, namely the three big actors: Jared Leto, Will Smith, and Margot Robbie. In the beginning, the only person I was doubtful about was Smith, and it has nothing to do with his acting ability. It’s the same reason I was wary about Ben Affleck as Batman. Smith and Affleck are prominent actors with a recognizable face/personality. I’m afraid I will only see those actors and not the characters they are portraying. Fortunately, Affleck proved me wrong and absolutely killed it as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Smith hasn’t shed his personality enough for me to see him only as Deadshot yet. He’s still Will Smith in my eyes, but I’m waiting until the film comes around before I pass full judgment.

Jared Leto is a different kind of Joker. He’s not the anarchist Joker that Heath Ledger portrayed, or the sociopathic jokester that Jack Nicholson played. He looks and acts like a psychopath, and I absolutely love it. I hate how much Ledger’s Joker has been romanticized and how Nicholson’s Joker has been played off as being too campy. I want this Joker to scare me. I want a Joker that nobody likes; a Joker that will give people nightmares. Leto might finally give us that Joker. For the love of God, I hope we eventually get a live-action depiction of the infamous Joker crowbar scene – I think Leto is perfect for it.

Margot Robbie is a better Harley Quinn than I expected. Just like with Leto’s Joker, she’s something different. She’s kinda scary in the trailers, which fits with the overall look and feel of the universe. Hate all you want, but I like her new outfit. The traditional jester outfit from the cartoons would be way too silly for this universe. I would’ve liked to have seen her Arkham Asylum costume (along with her trademark mallet), but maybe we’ll get that in the future? At the very least, I hope she gets the proper development. Wonder Woman was so bad-ass in Batman v Superman, but they barely gave us any background on her, which is a shame since they put a lot of emphasis on her in the trailers. Harley is getting a lot of attention in the previews; let’s hope it doesn’t go to waste.

Now, let’s get back to the trailer.

I think this trailer pretty much confirms my earlier theory about the plot of the film. I assume the movie will start out with Joker torturing Harleen Quinzel and turning her into Harley Quinn, and then Batman comes in to save the day. Fast-forward to present day (after the events of Batman v Superman) and we’ll get a glimpse of all the villains being put away in Belle Reve Penitentiary. In comes Amanda Waller to recruit Task Force X/Suicide Squad to partake in a dangerous mission, which I’m almost certain will involve going after the Joker. The film will end with Batman showing up and fighting the Squad before chasing down the Joker as he and Harley Quinn make their getaway.

 

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Last trailer, the spotlight was on Captain Boomerang, and wouldn’t you know it, his part in the trailer was the most well-received! It’s hard to sell Captain Boomerang since he’s such a campy villain, and it doesn’t help that he’s played by such a bland actor like Jai Courtney. But like I said, people loved him! This time, it looks like the marketing team did the same thing with El Diablo, yet another underrated and under-appreciated character. I think the funniest part of the trailer was at the very end when the Squad is in the bar grabbing drinks and ED simply asks for water (this is after we see multiple instances of him demonstrating his pyro powers). This is akin to when Boomerang cracked a beer open in the midst of an intense fire fight last trailer. It’s those subtle jokes you have to appreciate.

You know what I’m still curious about? Deathstroke. Is he going to be in the film? There were rumors that Scott Eastwood is playing the infamous mercenary, but nothing has been 100% confirmed yet. If Deathstroke IS in the film, I hope they keep it a secret. I’ve talked about how trailers keep revealing too much and how irritating it is to have a movie spoiled for you in the previews. Maybe someone over at DC/Warner Bros. finally wised up?

Other than that, this trailer followed the same formula as the one before it. We get clips of the action, some shots of the Joker, a clip or two of Batman, and a few jokes here and there. It looks like it’ll be a fun movie, plain and simple. I believe people will really enjoy Suicide Squad since it’s new yet still familiar. It’s not your average superhero movie. It’s like Dirty Dozen meets Guardians of the Galaxy. You’re getting the humor, the action, and the great soundtrack (Ballroom Blitz is going to be stuck in my head all day). However, there will always be haters, and you can’t do much except tune them out.

Suicide Squad comes to theaters on August 5th, 2016.

What were your thoughts on the recent Suicide Squad trailer? Do you think it will fare better than Batman v Superman? Tell us what you think in the comments or on Twitter.

About the author

Alex Reale

From a young age, Alex knew he was destined to be a writer. He also harbored a deep infatuation with superheroes and comics. Luckily, he was able to combine these two passions through his role with A Place to Hang Your Cape, where he works as Junior Sidekick and Social Media Hero.

When he’s not writing for AP2HYC or working full-time as a content manager for a small business website, Alex is diligently at work on other creative projects including a fantasy novel collection and an independent comic series.

You can find Alex's first book, Dodger's Doorway, on Amazon!