The decision to release Suicide Squad right after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice wasn’t for nothing. Warner Bros took its same approach to Ben Affleck’s Batman and applied it to their villains, giving us characters like The Joker, Harley Quinn, and Deadshot who’ve been around Gotham for quite sometime. I thought it was a unique approach to say the least, giving the brain trust behind the DCEU options going forward on where they want to take these superhero solo films, and which villains to include.
A majority of the villains making an appearance in Suicide Squad are apart of Batman’s rogues gallery. A few of these villains could’ve been one-off characters, but the casting behind these characters suggests they could play bigger roles in the DCEU going forward. A new rumor from Birth.Movies.Death. further supports this speculation.
Their sources are saying the Batman standalone film will features multiple villains. No specific characters are mentioned, but I think Joker (Jared Leto), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), and Deadshot (Will Smith) are a lock to make an appearance. As I stated earlier, you don’t cast names like these without the intention of using them more than once.
Jared Leto & Matthew McConaughey (as The Riddler) reunion?
Another possible villain making an appearance could be The Riddler, who’s presence in the universe was teased in Batman v Superman. Its been over 20 years since we’ve last seen the character on the big screen (Batman Forever), and his involvement in the film could easily make the story a psychological thriller, something Ben Affleck has previously excelled in as a writer/director.
The risks of multiple villains in a superhero film and it not executed correctly is known all too well by audiences. Both previous Spider-Man franchises ended because the studio tried their hands at pulling something similar off. However, the collaboration between Affleck and DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns gives me hope that a talented director/writer and a passionate, expert comic book writer can produce something amazing.
Which villains would you like to see in the Batman standalone film?
Images via. Comicbook.com, Heroic Hollywood
