The Suicide Squad Trailer from James Gunn Is NSFW and Spectacular

Finally, finally, finally we all get to see Polka Dot Man and Arm-Fall-Off-Boy in action. James Gunn, who had complete creative control over the film, has shared the first trailer for his The Suicide Squad reboot, and it’s packed full of anti-heroes you’ve never heard of unless you are as deep into comic books as the director himself.

From the horribly beautiful mind of @JamesGunn, #TheSuicideSquad hits theaters and @HBOMax August 6. Watch the Official Red Band trailer now, ❤️ to subscribe, and be among the first to receive content up until release! pic.twitter.com/O4fw1pbvXO

— The Suicide Squad (@SuicideSquadWB) March 26, 2021

The Suicide Squad is mostly ignoring the first sky-laser-studio-edited-train wreck of a film in favor of a far different style, one more akin to the grindhouse war movies of the ’70s that Gunn grew up with and the Troma films that he cut his teeth in the industry on. The film’s plot involves the Suicide Squad being dropped onto the island of Corto Maltese on a suicide mission to take out some bad guys. The film, as is obvious from the trailer, is hitting a hard R-rating and is leaning far more into the humor side of things than David Ayer’s awkwardly dark take. That’s evident in nearly every aspect, including Joel Kinneman not being simply a walking cardboard cutout.

While the movie is pretty much a reboot of the original, a few cast members are returning. There is, of course, Margot Robbie coming back as Harley Quinn, a role she has taken complete control of to the point that it would seem odd if anyone else played it. There’s also Viola Davis returning as Task Force X’s controller Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, and Jai Courtney as Boomerang. However, the team is much larger on this go-around with a cast of motley members pulling deep from DC’s lore: John Cena as Peacemaker (getting his own spin-off series), Steve Agee as King Shark, Idris Elba kind of replacing Will Smith’s Deadshot as Bloodsport, David Dastmalchian as Polka Dot Man, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2, Michael Rooker as Savant, Mayling Ng as Mongal, Sean Gunn as Weasel, Pete Davidson as Blackguard, Peter Capaldi as The Thinker, Flula Borg as Javelin, and Nathan Fillion as T.D.K. (a version of ’80s comic icon Arm-Fall-Off-Boy). Oh yeah, don’t forget Sylvester Stallone, either. It’s a massive cast of villains, and not all of them are going to make it off the island.

The Suicide Squad releases in theaters and on HBO Max on Aug. 6, 2021. Gunn also shared the posters below, which might give a hint as to who survives the film given who is highlighted in both of the “full cast” ones, though all the character posters remind us not to get too attached to anyone.