James Gunn's The Suicide Squad is shaping up to be an exciting addition to the DC Extended Universe, with new plot details teasing the team's mission and a DC Comics location. The upcoming film is a follow-up to 2016's Suicide Squad, which many felt didn't make the most of the franchise's potential. Suicide Squad 2 will feature some returning characters from the original movie, including Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, and Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang. However, The Suicide Squad will also introduce several characters new to the DCEU, such as Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), and King Shark (Steve Agee).
After Gunn's success with Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy movies, it will be exciting to see what he brings to The Suicide Squad. So far, much of the movie's story remains a mystery, though Gunn has spoken in the past about the film being a spiritual sequel to the first Suicide Squad comic series written by John Ostrander and Kim Yale. The director has also discussed his intense reading of the source material, which will have a large impact on the movie.
In the new issue of Empire (via ComicBook), Warner Bros. executive Peter Safran gives a better idea of Suicide Squad 2's story, as well as its connection to DC Comics. "There they have to destroy a Nazi-era prison and laboratory named Jotunheim, where political prisoners were held and experimentations took place," reveals Safran. Additionally, the Suicide Squad has to recover something from the prison, which is located in Corto Maltese in the movie.
In the comics, Jotunheim is a fortress in Qurac, a fictional country. Like will apparently happen in the movie, it was used by the Germans during World War II. The terrorist organization Jihad has taken hold of Jotunheim in a key Suicide Squad story, leading the team to attack and kill the majority of the Jihad. As Jotunheim appears in the very first issue of Suicide Squad, it's a quintessential location for the team.
This new information about The Suicide Squad should excite those who love the comics. Combined with Gunn's previous comments, it suggests the movie will not only maintain the spirit of the source material, but even honor one of its most essential stories. It will also be exciting to see Gunn's take on Jotunheim and just how closely it comes to its depiction in the comics. Luckily, audiences will find out soon: Suicide Squad 2's release date is currently set for August 6, 2021.
Source: Empire (via ComicBook)
