The following contains spoilers for The Suicide Squad.
With writer/director James Gunn at the helm, The Suicide Squad is back for another explosive mission. The new DC movie is being termed a "soft reboot" of the 2016 version, but it seems to fit right in to the already existing continuity established by David Ayer's movie. There are even a few returning characters.
Amongst the carnage and the laughs of the mission, Task Force X also makes way for a lot of comic book references. Fans can spot some familiar faces from the pages of DC Comics. They can also spot some familiar faces in a more meta fashion as well since Gunn brings some of his frequent collaborators into the movie as well. Gunn is known for filling the Guardians of the Galaxy movies to the brim with Easter eggs, so it should be no surprise that there are quite a few here as well.
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When The Suicide Squad opens, it does so to the landmark Johnny Cash song "Folsom Prison Blues." Cash wrote the song, inspired by the inmates, and then actually got to perform it there. It's a fitting opening for a movie about a group of inmates released solely for a potential suicide mission – but the pop culture reference isn't the Easter egg.
Instead, the Easter egg comes from what Savant does while the song plays. He uses the ball he has to make a complicated shot to take out a yellow bird. It's possible the act isn't an intentional Easter egg, but Gunn should claim it as one. Savant is known for being taken down by a crew of birds in DC Comics. Specifically, the Birds of Prey. Even more specifically, he has an antagonistic relationship with Dinah Lance, the Black Canary. Canaries are best known for being small, yellow birds, like the one Savant aims for. The bird in the movie, however, looks more like a finch.
As the audience gets a look inside the prison that houses the members of Task Force X, there are a few criminals who don't make the cut, but might look familiar. Some of them are inspired by existing comic book characters.
Sean Gunn, who pulls double duty as Weasel, appears as Calendar Man. Gunn sports the same tattoo across his forehead and briefly taunts Polka-Dot man. Fans can also spot Double Down next to him, identifiable by the pockets of skin missing on his face. In the comics, he can actually peel his skin off to use as weapons.
Also amongst the inmates is Kaleidoscope. She's noticeable because of the patchwork of colors all over her skin. Kaleidoscope would have been an interesting choice for the team since she's able to create hallucinations.
Just like the criminals who make up the Suicide Squad, Amanda Waller's staff is also right out of the comics. Her support team trio are named in the credits as Flo Crawley, John Economos, and Emilia Harcourt. They all work on Task Force X missions in the comics, though they don't make a habit of taking over from their intimidating boss.
One meta cameo fans will want to spot is the doctor who actually inserts Savant's explosive device into his neck. That's John Ostrander, the comic book creator who initially brought the Suicide Squad to the pages of DC Comics.
Over the course of her movie appearances, Harley Quinn's tattoos evolve. She no longer has her "rotten" tattoo. The tattoo on her shoulder blade also has a change.
The jester on her back used to declare "Property of Joker." Now, it reads, "Property Of No One," signifying their breakup. That breakup occurred at the start of Birds Of Prey, setting this particular movie after the events of the film, which makes sense as Captain Boomerang was wanted during it and finds himself back in Belle Reve as well. The tattoo demonstrates that Harley Quinn is still in the process of changing her life.
There are also a few other fun Harley nods in the movie. Her initial outfit is closer to her Arkham Asylum game clothing than her New 52 comic book clothing from the 2016 movie. She also makes a crack about specialty license plates, a nod to the Joker having his own in his previous movie appearance. Even the "Harley vision" of exploding flowers seems to be a nod to her Birds Of Prey aesthetic.
The audience might not get to see Bloodsport take on Superman on screen, but his story will be a familiar one for comic book fans. His kryptonite bullet is straight from the pages of the comics.
Bloodsport actually used kryptonite needles, not a bullet, in the comics. He also worked with Lex Luthor to get the job done. Of course, he also killed several other people before even getting to Superman in the comics, so it's likely his kryptonite bullet isn't the only thing that landed him in Belle Reve.
In a line that a lot of the audience might miss, Amanda Waller makes a note that she's supposed to be playing a round of golf with Senator Cray. Cray doesn't make an appearance in the movie, but he is a DC comic book character.
He made his comic book debut in an early issue of the 1980s Suicide Squad series. Cray turns out to be a corrupt politician, notable for selling government secrets to the highest bidder. His son also ends up being an asset of the Suicide Squad in the comics, which could be interesting to see in a potential sequel.
With James Gunn involved in both movies, it's probably inevitable that fans will compare The Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy. As they draw links between the thematic material, they might also want to take a look at the cast.
Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, and Sean Gunn all appear as characters in the initial team that storm the beach. They're also all frequent actors in Gunn's projects and appear in Guardians. Sylvester Stallone voices King Shark, and he also cameoed as a Ravager in the Guardians sequel. Steve Agee (who plays John Economos) stood in as King Shark on set and appeared in the Guardians movie as well. All of those actors are easy to spot, but there's also a cameo.
Pom Klementieff appears as a dancer on stage at the club the team hits to catch the Thinker in Corto Maltese. Marvel fans will better recognize her as Mantis.
Marvel fans will recognize the name of the tower that houses Starro as the home of the Frost Giants. The name, however, originates in Norse mythology and is used in a few comic book properties. In the case of DC Comics, the building is actually home to a terrorist group.
Interestingly, it's use also provides some foreshadowing for a major death in the movie. Rick Flag loses his life in the Jotunheim. While the circumstances are a little different, he's also presumed dead on a mission in the building in the comics – before eventually emerging alive in a later story, of course.
Though it's usually the MCU that employs a familiar news network in its Easter eggs, the DCEU gets to here as well. Bloodsport's daughter watches GBS to see her father saving Corto Maltese.
GBS is a nod to the Galaxy Broadcasting Network in the comics. The network is run by Morgan Edge, who hasn't appeared in the DCEU, but has appeared in the CW's Arrowverse. He previously appeared in Supergirl, and a new version of the character exists in Superman & Lois.
It's become common knowledge now that the DC comic book movies that make their way to the screen aren't necessarily the story the creatives behind them want to tell. That's why fans have the Snyder Cut of Justice League and why there's been campaigning for a David Ayer cut of Suicide Squad.
Without David Ayer bringing the first iteration of the team to the screen in the 2016 movie, it's unlikely Gunn would have been able to make his 2021 version. Ayer is acknowledged with a thanks in the credits as a result.
The Suicide Squad is currently in theaters and available to stream on HBO Max.
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