10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Suicide Squad

The Suicide Squad might not have performed as expected at the box office, but it’s the most talked-about movie amongst fans of the DCEU. The movie has become an instant classic for its R-rated violence, risk-taking, and turning unknown comic book characters into fan-favorites.

However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t any complications. There were a few speedbumps along the way as many people were concerned with the idea of creating an R-rated superhero movie with a cast of unknown characters. Between Warner Bros. wanting a PG-13 rating, Joel Kinnaman’s scheduling conflicts, and struggling with King Shark’s design, The Suicide Squad had a fascinating development.

10 King Shark Was The Toughest CGI Character To Create

King Shark is one of many examples of James Gunn subverting expectations, as the character in the comic books and even in the Arrowverse is a human-shark hybrid and is much more detailed. King Shark’s design is rather simple, with his rounded shape and clear skin, and it even seems like it could be a blank canvas. That’s why it’s so surprising that he was the toughest character to create. But taking a closer look, King Shark is shockingly detailed.

Though he’s one of the funniest characters in The Suicide Squad, King Shark almost didn’t make it into the movie. According to Gunn himself, he struggled to get the sharkskin to look real. The biggest hurdle was the shark’s belly, as it apparently looked too white, and the only way the designers pulled of his look is by pulling the character apart and putting him back together again.

9 Warner Bros. Wanted The Movie To Be PG-13

One of the biggest appeals of The Suicide Squad is the fact that it’s R-rated. And though Warner Bros. respectably pushes the PG-13 rating as far as they can with their DCEU movies, it simply isn’t the same as a hard R.

The Suicide Squad is full of creative murders with the Corto Maltese military being torn limbs from limbs in the most visceral way imaginable. But that almost wasn’t the case, as Warner Bros. had asked Gunn to make a PG-13 movie. But thankfully, an R-rating was non-negotiable when it came to the compromises that Gunn had to make with the studio. And it worked out for the best, as the gross-out visuals are stunning in the strangest way possible.

8 Warner Bros. Gave Gunn Fewer Studio Notes Than Marvel

When it comes to making movies with enormous budgets, there are always going to be notes handed down to the director from studio executives. And that’s to be even more expected when the movie in question is part of a large series, as it has to fit into a cinematic universe like a jigsaw piece.

But Gunn has expressed that though he received studio notes, Warner Bros. didn’t particularly care if he followed through on them. The director went on to explain that Marvel gives more notes than DC. However, Gunn is a good sport, as he admits that he’ll always take the notes on board, which is probably why he’s such an in-demand director.

7 The Villain Was Originally Going To Be Superman

Overloading the movie with villains was one of The Suicide Squad’s unavoidable mistakes. Between Amanda Waller, the Thinker, Starro, and Peacemaker, the movie almost had more villains than heroes. But that wasn’t always going to be the case, as the original plan was to have the Suicide Squad go up against the Man of Steel.

The idea didn’t get far in development, but it would have been a completely different movie, and it would have been the best use of Superman in the DCEU. The end result isn’t completely absent of any mention of Superman, as the reason why Bloodsport is locked up is that he put Superman in the hospital. This has the potential to be depicted on-screen in a future movie.

6 Rick Flag Was Almost Written Out Of The Movie

At one point during the development of the movie, Gunn considered writing Rick Flag out of the movie. It wasn’t because he wanted to replace him with any other character, which is what he did with so much of the original cast of Suicide Squad, but it was much simpler.

It was mainly because there were conflicts with actor Joel Kinnaman’s schedule. As the actor also stars in the AppleTV+ series For All Mankind, it was looking impossible for Kinnaman to be in Atlanta to shoot the movie. Kinnaman stated that it was his agent and managers who fixed the tricky situation, and it’s lucky that they did, as Flag has an important role in the movie and is the bravest character in the Suicide Squad.

5 Idris Elba Shot Some Of The Movie

Idris Elba is most famous for acting in huge blockbuster movies, but he’s also a director. The actor directed the British crime drama Yardie, and though it’s his directorial debut, he hasn’t directed anything since.

However, Elba did partake in shooting some of The Suicide Squad. He used the specially made Nano rig to shoot Sebastian the rat in the early prison scene. How much of the scene Elba shot isn’t known, but if the shot of Sebastian in the movie is what was shot by Elba, the actor would make a great cinematographer.

4 Gunn Didn’t Know About Birds Of Prey While Writing Suicide Squad

Whilst he was writing the screenplay for the Suicide Squad sequel, Gunn didn’t have a clue about the production of Birds of Prey. One of the biggest challenges that Gunn had when navigating the screenplay was how he’d have Harley end her relationship with Joker. However, what he didn’t know was the writers of Birds of Prey had already done this.

The Suicide Squad does address this storyline briefly as it sees Harley’s become briefly engaged to Silvio Luna. Her relationship with the Corto Maltese dictator does exactly what Gunn intended, as it expertly shows how Harley isn’t dependent on men.

3 Flula Borg Went Through A Major Transformation

Flula Borg is one of those actors who might not be world-famous, but is recognizable to many, as he seemingly appears in every show on TV and every movie in theatres (including Pitch Perfect 2). In the movie, Borg plays Javelin, and he has biceps that almost rival that of John Cena’s.

It was a major transformation, as Borg wasn’t as muscular before he began working out. Sadly, Borg didn’t get much screen-time as he was killed quite early on in the movie.

2 It Originally Had A Darker Ending

One of the biggest reasons why The Suicide Squad has been praised to no end is because there’s a surprising amount of heart in the movie.

The end of the film is even uplifting and optimistic, as The Suicide Squad ended with new friendships, but that wasn’t always the case. Gunn confessed that the movie originally had a darker ending, and though he never went into detail about exactly what that ending was, it’s fun to imagine what depraved direction the filmmaker went in.

1 Taika Waititi Almost Had A Different Role

Taika Waititi is one of the most sought-after writer-directors in Hollywood right now, but it seems like he’s a very in-demand actor too. In the movie, the New Zealand jack-of-all-trades plays Ratcatcher, Ratcatcher 2’s father. It’s a small but important role, but Gunn originally had much bigger plans for Waititi.

Gunn explained that Waititi was unavailable to take a bigger role due to his work on the development of a live-action adaptation of Akira. Though he doesn’t give away exactly which role it was, the possibilities are endless, and it could very well have been a member of Task Force X.