Suicide Squad
Released: August 5th, 2016
Runtime: 2 hours, 3 minutes
Directed by: David Ayer
Writers: David Ayer
Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Viola Davis, Cara Delevingne, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Karen Fukuhara
Significant characters introduced: Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Amanda Waller, The Joker, Captain Boomerang, Diablo, Killer Croc, Enchantress, Rick Flag, Katana
Notable universe developments: Amanda Waller assembles a group of incarcerated supervillains to operate as a suicide squad; Waller passes their information to Bruce Wayne.
With elements within the U.S. government and military concerned about the existence of meta-humans – and their inability to control them – government operative Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) resurrects an old proposal she previously devised. The plan involves using supervillains incarcerated in super-max Belle Reve Penitentiary as a Suicide Squad, who would be sent in to potentially combative situations that would otherwise prove deadly to the average person or soldier. To get her plan approved, she uses June Moone (Cara Delevingne) to persuade her superiors. Moone is an archaeologist possessed by an ancient, powerful entity known as Enchantress, who can move through time and space and is beholden to Waller because she literally has her heart in a locked box.
Waller’s plan is approved and she assembles her recruits – Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Diablo (Jay Hernandez), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Slipknot (Adam Beach). She has U.S. soldier Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) come aboard to lead the team, as he’s tasked with protecting June Moone and has fallen in love with her – making him easy to manipulate. Rick Flag brings with him Katana (Karen Fukuhara), who’s a gifted swordfighter, suing a Soultaker blade that contains the spirit of her murdered husband.
Enchantress manages to escape from Flag, however, and reunites with her brother, creating a base in the middle of the city, and launching a plan to destroy the world. The Suicide Squad is sent in to stop her and are kept in check and controlled by the fact that Waller has had small explosive charges inserted into their necks. On their mission, Slipknot is first to test Waller’s resolve and quickly has his head blown up.
Meanwhile, The Joker (Jared Leto) is planning to extract his girlfriend, Harley Quinn, from the situation, and makes the manufacturer of the explosive charges neutralize hers. His plan fails, however, and he’s seemingly killed in a helicopter crash as Harley Quinn looks on. She then rejoins the Squad, rather than escaping on her own, and the team discovers the truth about Flag, Enchantress, Waller and the horrors of each other’s crimes.
During a final confrontation, Diablo is killed and Harley Quinn finally stops Enchantress and thwarts her plan. June Moone is saved and reunited with Rick Flag, and Deadshot is allowed to spend a brief time with his daughter. The Squad is then returned to Belle Reve – albeit with some new privileges in light of their efforts. Just as all seems quiet, though, The Joker bursts through a wall and rescues Harley Quinn.
