The Suicide Squad Ending Explained

The Suicide Squad is now finally here – and it’s going down a storm. Fan are loving it and the critical reception has been through the roof, with many praising its awesome, R-rated action, sense of humor, strong character work and surprising developments. While we’re all still absorbing what happens in the movie, let’s recap the shocking, thrilling and emotional ending to James Gunn’s DC debut.

So the bulk of the plot sees Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) send Task Force X – who’s core team is made up of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Ratcatcher II (Daniella Melchior), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) and King Shark (Sylvester Stallone) – to Corto Maltese to take down “Project Starfish”. It becomes clear this is an attempt to experiment on and weaponize a kaiju-sized mind-controlling alien known as Starro the Conqueror, being kept underground in a research facility/fortress called Jotunheim, originally built by Nazis.

As chief scientist on the project, The Thinker (Peter Capaldi), reveals, Project Starfish was actually started by the US government and Waller has sent them there to erase evidence of this complicity. Flag and Ratcatcher believe the truth needs to come out, which causes Peacemaker – Waller’s man on the inside – to kill Flag and attempt to kill Ratcatcher before he’s (seemingly) executed by Bloodsport. But the Squad’s siege on Jotunheim causes Starro to escape its bonds and break free, terrorizing Corto Maltese and using its spores to turn the population into its own army.

Waller orders the squad to evacuate the scene, as their mission is technically complete. But, led by Bloodsport, they disobey her orders and go to save the city. Waller intends to activate their neck-bombs for their insubordination but she’s knocked unconscious by her aides who proceed to help the squad. Starro is eventually brought down when Harley stabs its giant eye with her javelin, allowing Ratcatcher’s rats to infiltrate its body, eating through its blood vessels until it dies.

Bloodsport, now in possession of the hard-drive filled with the incriminating Project Starfish evidence – finally gets the better of Waller by blackmailing her into letting him and the surviving team members – Harley, Ratcatcher and King Shark – go. The film ends with the foursome boarding a helicopter away to freedom. A final post-credits scene reveals that Peacemaker survived, setting up his return in his upcoming self-titled streaming series.

The Suicide Squad is out now in theaters and on HBO Max.