The Suicide Squad: Release Date, Plot and What to Watch First

The Suicide Squad: Release Date, Plot and What to Watch First
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Get excited, DC fans. Well, not The Batman level excited, but reasonably excited. Because The Suicide Squad is not far from hitting screens.

The new (and seemingly improved) film instalment for our crew of DC cons has been a while in the making and considering the disappointing result we got for the 2016 Suicide Squad film, there’s a lot riding on this James Gunn production coming in the second half of 2021.

Here’s everything you need to know about The Suicide Squad (2021) in the lead up to its release.

What is The Suicide Squad about?

The synopsis for The Suicide Squad (2021) reads as follows:

Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.

In a nutshell, Bloodsport (played by Idris Elba) is serving time in prison for an attack on Superman when he is approached by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) about a wild and dangerous mission he is to take alongside the rest of the Suicide Squad.

Here’s the trailer, if you’d like a little taste. Honestly, it looks like chaotic fun to me.

There has been a lot of discussion about what this film will be to the 2016 Suicide Squad movie. Is it a sequel? As Rotten Tomatoes writes, it was confirmed back in 2019 by producer Peter Safran that the film is not a sequel.

While it does bring some original characters back together, don’t expect clear continuity.

Who’s involved in the film?

You’re probably familiar with a few faces here, but just in case – here’s a rundown of the biggest names appearing in the cast and crew of The Suicide Squad.

James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) has stepped in as writer and director. Many cast members from the 2016 film have reprised their roles, but there are loads of new names, too.

Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis and Jai Courtney have returned as Harley Quinn, Rick Flag, Amanda Waller and Captain Boomerang. They’re joined by Mikaela Hoover (as Camila), Sylvester Stallone (as King Shark), Idris Elba (as Bloodsport), Pete Davidson (as Blackguard), John Cena (as Peacemaker), David Dastmalchian (as Polka-Dot Man), and Alice Braga (as Sol Soria), among others. Taika Waititi is also named in an undisclosed role.

Is the film worth a watch?

If you’re nervous about whether or not The Suicide Squad will leave you hugely disappointed or not (DC has not had a great run in recent years, aside from a few solid films) I’m here to tell you the reviews are officially out.

And friends, they’re good.

It’s currently sitting at a hot 96 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling The Suicide Squad 2021 funny, fast-paced and fun.

Wendy Ide of The Observer wrote: “The key: a director with a taste for anarchy, who crawled out of the same toxic sewer sludge as most of the characters.”

James Gunn’s work in The Suicide Squad is being praised all over the internet, with folks applauding the film for being the cinematic journey we hoped the 2016 film would be. People are very, very excited.

Margot Robbie even went so far as to say it’s the best comic book film ever. Big call.

“Even if this movie wasn’t as incredible as it is, it’s still worth going to the theatre just because it’s so nice to be able to go to a movie theatre again,” Robbie told Access of The Suicide Squad, as RT has shared.

“But it just so happens that this is arguably one of the greatest, if not the greatest comic book film ever made. You don’t want to miss it.”

When and where can I watch The Suicide Squad in Australia?

You’ll be able to catch The Suicide Squad at cinemas across Australia (pending COVID-19 restrictions) as of August 5, 2021.

What should I watch before catching The Suicide Squad?

If recent quotes about the nature of the film are anything to go off you should be able to watch The Suicide Squad 2021 as a stand-alone film and follow along just fine.

However, if you watched the 2016 Suicide Squad film, you’ll know that it can be overwhelming to meet a heap of characters in one go.

To manage some of that, and to just get you in the headspace of some DC fun, here are the films we recommend you watch before checking out The Suicide Squad. All synopses from streaming services.

The Suicide Squad 2021
The Suicide Squad 2021. Image: Universal

Birds of Prey

After being thrown out in the streets by Joker, Harley struggles to pick herself up. However, Harley teams up with Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya to defeat a gangster and protect a girl.

Watch it on Netflix.

Zack Snyder Justice League

Restoring his original vision for the film, Zack Snyder reunites Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash as they attempt to save the world.

Watch it on Binge.

Wonder Woman

Diana, princess of the Amazons, is raised to be a warrior on a sheltered island. She discovers her full powers and true destiny when she joins the human fight to end all wars.

Watch it on Binge.

The Dark Knight

As Batman, Lt. Gordon and the district attorney continue to dismantle Gotham’s criminal underground, a new villain threatens to undo their good work.

Watch it on Netflix.

The Lego Batman Movie

There are big changes brewing in Gotham, but if Batman wants to save the city from the Joker’s takeover, he may have to drop the lone vigilante thing and try to work with others.

Watch it on Binge.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

It’s the Man of Steel vs. the Caped Crusader when Batman becomes suspicious of Superman’s increasing power, and Lex Luthor’s happy to take advantage.

(Terrible movie, but it’s DC and it’s streaming if you’re keen.)

Watch it on Netflix.

If you’d like to catch the 2016 Suicide Squad film, you can find that to rent or buy on services like Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. You can find a guide to all the Superman films here if you’d like to read on.

This article on The Suicide Squad 2021 has been updated since its original publish date.


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At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

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