James Gunn's The Suicide Squad is breaking new ground for the DC Extended Universe. Not only is the movie garnering praise from DCEU fans, it's also highlighting just how badly studios have messed things up for the series to date. As anyone who's seen The Suicide Squad knows, there's plenty that makes the film stand out from the crowd. Aside from the spectacular gore and garish costumes, however, there's something more nuanced that the feature reveals about the DCEU as a whole.
Following in the footsteps of 2016's derisory Suicide Squad, the new release charts the adventures of an unlikely band of criminal antiheroes as they attempt to defeat a starfish-like alien. Despite the outlandish premise, The Suicide Squad has been a real hit with critics and viewers alike, despite slightly disappointing at the box office. But, as well as delighting audiences, the new feature also reveals a major opportunity for the future of the DCEU franchise.
The key to The Suicide Squad's success lies in its tone. By necessity, any movie featuring an anthropomorphic weasel, a human-shark-hybrid, and John Cena can't take itself too seriously. But, despite the potential pitfalls, this is also the film's greatest strength.
Instead of falling into the same grim, sepia-toned traps that snared previous DCEU entries, The Suicide Squad celebrates its silliness with dazzling visual flair and a total commitment to its more outrageous elements. It serves as both a parody and a completely plausible entry into the DC canon, forgoing grittiness for fun. While it's unreasonable to suggest all DCEU movies from now on should include talking animals, their inclusion here highlights the tonal shift that future movies need to make.
There is a second lesson future DC films can learn from The Suicide Squad. Despite introducing enough new characters to the audience to fill up an entire rogues' gallery, the plot never gets bogged down by unnecessary backstory. Several previous DCEU entries, including the original Suicide Squad, have spent too long providing lengthy exposition before giving the characters anything interesting to do. Gunn's film, by contrast, combines fully realized characters with a light tone that skips effortlessly from set piece to spectacular set piece. Of all the criticisms one could level at The Suicide Squad, no one could ever call it dull.
It's fair to say that DCEU movies haven't always been a roaring success. A few notable exceptions aside, the franchise has struggled to match the critical and commercial accomplishments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, by combining a less self-important tone, violence that pulls no punches, and strong characterization, The Suicide Squad proves there's no reason future films can't turn the tide.
