James Gunn wished Kaleidoscope actor Natalia Safran a happy birthday with a behind-the-scenes image from The Suicide Squad. The Suicide Squad hit cinemas in August to positive reception from critics and fans. As well as including bigger names from 2016's Suicide Squad like Rick Flagg and Amanda Waller, Gunn also chose to include many of the lesser-known villains from DC's rogue's gallery. Some took on bigger roles, such as Polka-Dot Man, while others were handed smaller roles, such as Safran's Kaleidoscope, who appears in a cameo role.
Kaleidoscope first appeared in a 1982 edition of the New Adventures of Superboy, but the character's creation came from an usual place: the fans. During that Superboy series, fans could submit their own ideas for characters which, if used by DC, then became DC property. Fans Chris Lawton and Nancy Mae Lawton were successful after they wrote in and suggested the character, and are now credited with creating Kaleidoscope. Their character has now not only made it to the big screen, but has made it in a faithful recreation. Safran's behind-the-scenes pictures from set give a closer look at Kaleidoscope's comics accurate look.
Posting on his Instagram account, Gunn took the opportunity to share his own BTS pic. In the post, Gunn wishes a "happy birthday to The Suicide Squad's Kaleidoscope," Safran. The picture shows Gunn on set with Safran as she leans on the director and smiles at the camera. Snapped on the Belle Reve Prison set from the movie, Safran sports an orange jumpsuit during a break in filming. The full post can be seen below.
Gunn's BTS picture follows a trend of him and his cast from The Suicide Squad wishing each other a happy birthday. Javelin actor Flula Borg went above and beyond last month, wishing Gunn a happy birthday in full Javelin costume. Gunn's happy birthday photo to Safran is a BTS shot from Safran's blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in the movie, which takes place early on in the story when the Suicide Squad villains are locked up in Belle Reve Prison. The Suicide Squad isn't the only DC film in which Safran has made a cameo appearance. Under even heavier make-up, the actress also appeared as Queen Rina in 2018's Aquaman and, in an uncredited role, as Mrs. Sivana, wife of the villainous Mr. Sivana, in 2019's Shazam!.
Gunn, who is returning to DC for the John Cena-starring Peacemaker series, is expected to return to the DCEU to helm further adventures. Given Gunn's track record of bringing background comic characters to the foreground in his movies, it's not unlikely that Kaleidoscope's cameo could turn into an expanded role. While Kaleidoscope's appearance in The Suicide Squad may have been brief, it might not have been unimportant, as one fan theory suggests her appearance was actually as Polka-Dot Man's sister. Gunn no doubt has ideas of his own about which characters he wants to introduce and give bigger roles to - whether Kaleidoscope's appearance in the DCEU remains a cameo or becomes something more, though, is unclear.
Source: James Gunn
