7 Ways In Which Suicide Squad Is DC’s Guardians Of The Galaxy

In light of the polarizing response to Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros. and DC were likely reassured that at least fans were responding positively to early footage of its next DC Extended Universe project, the villainous team-up Suicide Squad. The project - written and directed by End of Watch filmmaker David Ayer - aimed to follow-up the self-serious smackdown between DC Comics' biggest icons with a lighter, more unconventional comic book film, one which would introduce mainstream audiences to fan-favorite character Harley Quinn and build upon the shared universe that Warner Bros. kicked off with Man of Steel. However, though Suicide Squad was positioned as a refreshing antidote to the superhero fatigue that some critics have pinpointed, the film ultimately bears a striking resemblance to another project released by DC's more box office-savvy competitors over at Marvel Studios, namely 2014 hit Guardians of the Galaxy. After all, Ayer signed on to helm Suicide Squad just a month after Guardians of the Galaxy hit theaters, to the ultimate tune of $773 million worldwide. While DC may have already had their project in development, it's simply naive to think that the enormous success of Guardians of the Galaxy had no impact on Warner Bros. and DC's confidence in pushing Suicide Squad into production. The fact that the two films have so much in common - regardless of how well one may regard either release - makes it easy to pinpoint Suicide Squad as DC's answer to Guardians of the Galaxy. So, without further ado, let's get into specifics. Ensemble Piece Centering On Non-Mainstream Characters No one batted an eye when Warner Bros. finally decided to unite Batman and Superman onscreen, as the two superheroes are among the most popular of all-time. Yet, the decision to build a film around characters like Captain Boomerang, El Diablo and Enchantress requires a far stronger leap of faith. With the notable exception of Harley Quinn and Deadshot (who have remained prominent on television and in video games), non-comic book readers have little to no familiarity with the ensemble of Suicide Squad. Much like Marvel bet the $170 million budget of Guardians of the Galaxy on unknown quantities like Drax the Destroyer and Rocket Raccoon, Warner Bros. is hoping that it can use Suicide Squad to establish a cast of colorful characters who can play larger roles in the films ahead. How well it establishes its characters as compelling figures worth further exploration may vary, but at least Suicide Squad makes it clear who it's really interested in developing in coming films. Up-And-Coming Actor In A Star-Making Major Role Even though both Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy rely heavily on the chemistry among an ensemble cast to bring the screen to life, there is a blatant effort for both films to serve as star-making vehicles for a pair of rising talents. That Marvel film transformed Chris Pratt from that goofy guy on TV's Parks and Recreation into a Hollywood action hero (see: Jurassic World, the upcoming remake of The Magnificent Seven). Similarly, Suicide Squad plays like a backdoor pilot into a feature-length Harley Quinn film (one which is already rumored to be in the works) for the talented Margot Robbie, whose popularity has been gaining steam ever since her scene-stealing role in The Wolf of Wall Street. Thanks to her connection not only to the titular Squad but also Jared Leto's erratic Joker, Harley is very much the female lead of the film and arguably receives the most narrative focus of anyone in its extensive cast. Perhaps Warner Bros. was a bit gunshy about launching a Harley film right away, but expect one soon after this. A Killer Pop-Heavy Soundtrack Destined To Top The Charts "Hooked on a Feeling" is now inextricably linked to Guardians of the Galaxy, ever since that first trailer so effectively used the Blue Swede tune to establish the offbeat tone of James Gunn's film and build buzz about its impending release. Anyone who has seen the Suicide Squad trailers can attest to the same approach there. From "Bohemian Rhapsody" to "Ballroom Blitz," the entire marketing campaign for Ayer's film has centered on the repurposing of classic rock music for a modern age, and the film itself continues that trend through to its anticipated conclusion. In the first few minutes alone, Suicide Squad runs through a laundry list of popular soundtrack staples ("Sympathy for the Devil"? Check.) as it eases moviegoers into the lives of these new characters. At least Will Smith's Deadshot didn't have a cherished mixtape on hand at all times, or we really might have been forced to call DC out. Quirky Humor And Tonal Shift For Respective Universes The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been known for its ability to keep a sense of levity even when the stakes are high, but even so, Guardians of the Galaxy took the humor to absurd new heights. Once you bring a machine gun-toting raccoon and a walking tree into the mix, it's a clear sign to moviegoers that anything can happen. In addition, Guardians of the Galaxy introduced the most cosmic adventure yet for the MCU, and just as that film opened the franchise up to new possibilities with a cheeky sense of humor, Suicide Squad follows suit. Ayer's movie introduces viewers to their first glimpse of the amoral underbelly of DC anti-heroes (more on that in a moment) and all the humorous possibilities that entails. Oh, and by the way, it also brings mysticism into the mix for good measure, folding in a new dimension to the DCEU that Marvel is only now embracing in full with this fall's Doctor Strange. Reluctant Team Of Anti-Heroes That Develop Into A Family Suicide Squad posits itself a unique addition to comic book cinema. Yet, despite the fact that its characters are almost universally murderers and thieves, the film somehow manages to see these despicable individuals coalesce into a bizarre kind of family by the end, as El Diablo (Jay Hernandez) explicitly references at one critical point in the story. Taken individually, Squad members like Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) would be little more than C-list characters, but together the team of Suicide Squad is greater than the sum of its parts. Likewise, Guardians of the Galaxy saw a thief, an assassin, a warrior and a pair of bounty hunters evolve from selfish, morally questionable people into heroes. We wouldn't quite so far as to say that the reluctant group forced into heroics by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) in Suicide Squad will be ready and willing to save the day next time, but the point stands that circumstances force these villains to become something greater by the end. Weak Rogue Villains Vaguely Motivated By A Thirst For Power For all its crafty marketing, Suicide Squad managed to keep its central villain a mystery prior to its theatrical release. In the film, the Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) rebels against Amanda Waller's control to launch a mad grasp to reclaim power over the world. In much the same way, Guardians of the Galaxy's Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) turns against Thanos (Josh Brolin) to pursue his own ends. Neither villain offers a particularly compelling plan or seems to have much more in mind than the stereotypical lust for power that plagues nearly every other modern movie villain. While fans and critics continue to debate the relative merits of both Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy, one of the most consistent complaints is that the films' villains leave much to be desired. Here's hoping we get stronger baddies in upcoming films. Expectations Set By The Previous Shared Universe Release Comic books are, in many ways, the closest thing modern society has to mythology. These larger-than-life tales of extraordinary people saving the day and pursuing justice inspired readers long before they elicited that same reaction from moviegoers. Yet, rather than celebrate any worthwhile addition to the genre, the fan community seems hellbent on pitting the industry's two titans against each other. Guardians of the Galaxy and Suicide Squad may be similar in several key ways, but one way in which the films are vastly opposed is how the response they received upon their arrivals in theaters. The former Marvel adventure was met with rapturous praise and a 91 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while Ayer's film currently holds a dismal 27 percent. Fans will continue to debate the validity of these reviews, but it does appear that the perception of both films was affected by the previous entry in their respective shared universes. While Suicide Squad has the misfortune of following the ill-received Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Guardians of the Galaxy hit theaters just a few months after the heavily lauded Captain America: The Winter Soldier. By this logic, Wonder Woman may have an even harder time winning audiences and critics over next year, as a precedent has clearly been set.