Writer-director James Gunn jokes that The Suicide Squad’s King Shark is the GOAT of the DC Extended Universe. Following David Ayer’s Suicide Squad (2016) and Warner Bros/DC’s general lack of creative direction in recent years, Gunn was hired to bring his signature style to the DCEU. As a sequel/reboot, The Suicide Squad features Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), and new characters including Peacemaker (John Cena) and Bloodsport (Idris Elba).
Gunn is best known for his work on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise; adapting lesser-known comic book characters like Rocket the Raccoon and Groot (Vin Diesel) and making them household names. That said, Gunn has drawn from the deepest, darkest corners of DC’s rogues gallery to assemble Task Force X in his latest film—from Weasel and Polka Dot Man to T.D.K. and King Shark (Sylvester Stallone). The latter, instead of being a humanoid tree equipped with an iconic voice, is a humanoid shark with a constant hunger for flesh.
In a recent Twitter exchange, a fan asked Gunn if King Shark was the Groot of the DC Universe, to which Gunn replied “you misspelled GOAT.” Given the absurd nature of the character in a game-changing DC film, he may not be joking. Check out the tweet below:
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The comic book version of King Shark is Nanaue—who’s also appeared on TV’s The Flash and Harley Quinn—a humanoid shark descended from a god. He was never part of the Suicide Squad but rather an Aquaman villain. The Suicide Squad will also feature Batman and Flash villains. While Task Force X’s roster isn’t identical to its source material, Gunn aims to honor the profane absurdity of John Ostrander’s comic—which is certainly reflected by a man who uses superpower polka dots, a murderous vigilante who preaches peace, and a pants-wearing shark (among other things).
Steve Agee did the motion-capture for King Shark and Stallone voices the character. Gunn had previously worked with Stallone on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and, despite writing King Shark with him in mind, cycled through a few other actors before casting him. Gunn has also talked about how bringing a CGI character like King Shark to life is different than say Rocket or Groot, who exist in a universe where people are used to seeing magical things. In the world of The Suicide Squad, people are thrown by the sight of a walking, talking shark. Whether or not Gunn’s beautifully insane creation has a Groot-level impact remains to be seen. The Suicide Squad hits theaters and HBO Max on the same day starting August 6.
Source: James Gunn
