There are two things that fans knew to expect from James Gunn's version of The Suicide Squad: a team full of outrageous and colorful characters, and a brutal body count giving plenty of them a less than glamorous sendoff. But will Flula Borg's Javelin make history before his character is potentially dispatched?
Screen Rant got the chance to speak with the German-born Borg during a visit to the film's set back in November 2019, when his deep-cut DC character was one of an unknown number of new Squad recruits. And while Javelin's connection to Harley Quinn may have already been teased in trailers, the actor was tight-lipped about his role and story. Fortunately for readers, that was the only thing he wouldn't talk about. Enjoy the entire interview below.
How was the film and your role in it described to you?
Flula Borg: I love the game we're going to play right now, which is how vague can I be but still give you answers that are good. Can you repeat your question?
When you were first told about the film, how it was going to be maybe different from the Suicide Squad, the first movie, and Javelin.
Flula Borg: Yeah, well they did not give me a lot of information, which was very fun for me because it meant I could kind of fill in some very tasty blanks. It's almost like someone gives you a test like "Here, draw something nice." I draw it and then they're like "Terrible, try something else." So that is some of the things I did for me, but as you can see, I had no input in looking this tasty and delicious. These are zero inputs and I was very excited when I saw that. I wasn't sure. I did look at the old comics and kind of look and see what is this man like? What will his hair look like? Will it be hot and lovely and luxurious? Or will it be a weird Mohawk? It's the former, as you can see, so it's very exciting.
What motivates the members of the team? Do they get along?
Flula Borg: I mean I'll tell you, no. I think the idea, even not speaking about this but as a general rule, we're probably all a little misfit-y. So I wasn't trying and I don't think that's the goal. It's definitely not something where we're trying to hold hands and build very fun sandcastles together. If so, one of us would kick it over. I would definitely do that, sandcastles suck.
Had you any experience ever throwing a javelin? Were you a track and field guy? Tell us a little bit about getting used to that?
Flula Borg: Yeah, that was an interesting step. As a child I would whittle tiny pieces of wood and throw them at the neighbor children and I was grounded for that. That, just as a side story, that doesn't help at all with a javelin. I play a lot of bar sports as a teenager and adult man, so basketball, I'm learning some American football. I don't know, Peyton Manning is a man, he exists. I did do a lot of googling of how to javelins work and how to look like I should know how to do this well. That's what's so fun about acting. Like, here, you're definitely not an expert in this thing, now try to look like an expert in this thing, which is very fun. No one was impaled, just for the record.
Is there a character in particular that Javelin sort of hooks up with? Not hooks up but partners with?
Flula Borg: You're talking about how many bases did I reach with whom? I will tell you Javelin reached second base with himself in his trailer every Friday as a celebration for a scene well shot. That's just, self care is very important.
I meant sort of team member-y, but you know.
Flula Borg: I am my own team, there is an I in team if you spell it incorrectly. Javelin spells it TIM.
Do they, Javelin and I guess as a team, do they think of themselves as cool, like as the cool villains?
Flula Borg: Let's look at my face, yes. The answer is absolutely, that is the eyes of a man who thinks he's super cool. I will not speak for the other ones, that would be rude. I will do it to myself silently as I judge everyone but yeah, of course. If you've read the comics, Javelin thinks he's a big bad badass, he has won 45 Olympic gold medals for East Germany, so lots of doping. Sorry again about that, the mid-80s, awkward time. But yes, I think that's the job, the job of someone in an outfit like that is to think they are the shizzle.
That costume is pretty unforgiving and you're already a pretty in shape guy, but did you do additional training to make sure that you looked your best in a suit?
Flula Borg: Yes the greatest motivation is fear and floppy body parts. I did not know. It was very secretive for me so I did not even know this is how I would look. As a German man who loves schedules, regiments, calories and pushups, I performed all of those things for several weeks until I was told to attend this wonderful movie. Does that answer your question at all?
Sure.
Flula Borg: Thank you, sure.
Is it comfortable? Is it comfortable wearing a suit like that?
Oh yes. Yeah. It has... All suits have challenges. Fashion can be very painful and sometimes suits as well. But when you're focused hardcore on holding a very sassy javelin, who cares. It sounds like I'm tooting guys, it's just the seat. I'm just rotating in order to engage.
Would you win in a fight with the boomerang guy if hypothetically there was one?
Flula Borg: I mean, you could say, would you win in a fight with insert anything and I would say to you "Yes, next." Is what I would say, except if I'm fighting myself and I have frizzy hair. If I'm like Atlanta Javelin versus Los Angeles Javelin, LA Javelin wins, the hair is in control, there's no big frizz going.
What have you filmed so far? You're a month into production. What have you actually been on set filming so far?
Flula Borg: Yes, this I definitely can't answer with a direct thing so I will tell you I've filmed things where there were cameras and then I was wearing that suit with this hair. At some point I was standing and also sitting, then when we weren't shooting I was going to second base with myself, and then I was enjoying as many snacks as possible. I'm telling you this vaguely because I really love being in the film and I don't want to be cut out of it by giving you a detail that would ruin my career. Submarine it, or U-boat it for you German fans out there.
What did you think of the first movie? How did your perception of it affect your feelings about this?
Flula Borg: Yes, if you've heard of Matt Foley from Saturday Night Live who lives in a van down by the river, I am the German version of that. I basically have seen very little things. I'm a caveman. I'm more or less an unfrozen caveman lawyer. There are so many things I've not seen. I've only seen the first Matrix, I refuse to watch the rest. I don't know why.
That's a great choice.
Flula Borg: Well thank you, sometimes you make those right choices. Other times, you miss Pulp Fiction. You're like "What's that?" And everyone laughs at you. In this case, this is a long way to tell you I have not seen the first one. When I realized this was occurring I thought a mistake to watch anything to make me think different things. It's like when they say don't think of a tasty burrito and then you want one so bad.
I'm hungry, yeah.
Flula Borg: Yeah, seriously. Samesies. Are we going to the club? I didn't get one.
Yeah, 21.
Flula Borg: 21? Okay, yeah, I still have two more years.
So what motivates your character?
Flula Borg: I think as an athlete, a former athlete, he wants to win, look very dope, but not dope, no HGH. He's clean, he's a clean athlete, West German, he immigrated. He wants to just win and look DAF, which would be dope and fun, at all times. Yeah. I've also learned with athletes, if you think too hard then oops, there comes the basketball to your crotch, so don't think. You've got to be in the moment and live it sassy as you hold your javelin. I don't know why I'm looking at you every time. You asked the javelin question. Thank you for psychoanalyzing me correctly.
The thing about the boomerang is you throw it and it returns.
Flula Borg: Well.
But with the javelin, I would assume you throw it and have to go get it.
Flula Borg: You have not heard of the javarang or the boomerin, both of which are designed to look like they will return to you but then just go into the woods. It's just a name, it's still a javelin, you're correct. How does it come back?
Or does it? I mean, is that a challenge that Javelin faces on a regular basis?
Flula Borg: This is a question I ask every morning as I stare at an oak tree. Does the javelin come back?
Could it come back?
Flula Borg: Could it come back? We don't know.
Why isn't it?
Flula Borg: Why isn't it? Where are you? Did I leave you at home? Where did you go Joe DiMaggio?
Do you ever launch yourself?
Flula Borg: Do I launch myself? Oh yes. I also sharpen myself. I've done a lot of waxing as well. If you're named after the thing you do, you should do that. To me, someone named automobile should get their oil changed every 6,000 miles I've heard. Is that right? Meinecke?
What's it like working with James Gunn?
Flula Borg: This was a fever dream. I cannot believe this actually happened. As I think we all would, I'm a very large fan of everything he has done. To watch him create something as sassy as this and be allowed to play in it, it's like there's a very wonderful kickball game occurring outside and you're behind the window and you're just holding a Krispy Kreme donut, glazed blueberry, no one is there, you want to go there. Just like Chunk from Goonies, you see the car chase and you slap the milkshake and it spits up into the sky. Just watch the first five minutes. You'll know what I'm talking about. Except this time, you're not watching the car chase, you're in it. The Fratellis are there with you and you're hanging out. You've just broken them out of Astoria. Now you're on that beach with that big rock?
So you're on the dodgeball team?
Flula Borg: Yes, sorry, to bring it, yes. Thank you. I've kicked a ball in the sky.
What's the tone on set like? Is it as fun as it is in this room? Do you guys get real serious?
Flula Borg: Yes. I have, there's a few things I'm missing in my genetic DNA, one of them is the ability to be like hardcore one focus. Its a fun time, it has been a fun time the whole time. It's very loosey goosey but in a great way. Loosey goosey is nice for focus as well. If you over focus, I'm sure there's a Confucius saying that refers to that, I just don't know it.
Peter Safran was saying this movie is very big on practical effects and James was saying it's kind of a rough shoot. What have been the most challenging physical moments on set for you without revealing?
Flula Borg: Without giving it away. So yeah, many of the things that are being done are in camera, not outside of the camera. So a lot of it means we are doing real things and real things are occurring around us. So there's important safety meetings. I had to look up what an explosion would do if I was too close to it, like if my face was this close is that a bad idea? The answer is yes. It's just really more focus. I know I said loosey goosey but you really do need to focus to make sure those things are happening. Also, be prepared to do things more than one time if something is tough. But as Javelin, man, I've tossed so many javelins I cannot count. It's 14,282.
Who takes things too seriously?
Flula Borg: Javelin.
Yeah but which actor?
Flula Borg: Oh, Flula Borg, who plays Javelin. Always, yeah, yeah. Calm down, smile a bit.
Is there a member of the team that Javelin hates the least?
Flula Borg: Yeah, Javelin. There's a lot of self love, a lot of healthy love. Sometimes it crosses the line but then Javelin apologizes to Javelin, they have a nice talk and everything is fine.
A little bit earlier we saw some test footage of Harley Quinn with Javelin, just sort of brandishing it rather casually. Obviously you're not going to tell us why or if she ever gets a javelin in her hand, but if you can speak from Javelin's perspective, what might he think about Harley Quinn brandishing Javelin's signature weapon?
Flula Borg: Just as when I was a child and had a very tasty He-Man and Skeletor figurines, I would let my neighbor friend borrow them. They would be on loan. Do you think I would forget that Boris has borrowed my Skeletor? Heck no. It's allowed, to borrow the javelins, they can be lent for seconds at a time, but Javelin wants them back.
Is he talking third person all the time?
Flula Borg: Yes, there is a basketball coach called Roy Williams who coaches the UNC North Carolina Tarheels, and all he does is say "Old Roy is tired today. Old Roy needs to have the players play better. Old Roy wants a biscuit." So I've adopted Roy Williams's cadence. That's part of my... As I developed the character, you know how it goes. So Javelin, yes, is a little bit Roy Williams.
Method.
Flula Borg: It's method, so method.
Does he only have the one javelin or is he like Hawkeye where it seems like an infinite supply of arrows?
Flula Borg: Yeah, have you seen Roger Federer just throw a racket into the sky and he's like "Oh, too many Wimbledons for me" and then another man brings another racket? It's like that.
What is Javelin's relationship like with Amanda Waller?
Flula Borg: Judging from all the relationships that Javelin has I would say poor, non-existent, unhealthy, crosses lines, should consider not interacting with other humans. This is me just talking about Javelin. Javelin thinks everything is great and hunky and also dory. Not to be confused with Finding Nemo.
What makes him a villain? He sounds like he should be the hero.
Flula Borg: Well this is a deep question. Again, these are not toots, these are just seat rearrangements. Hero and villain, who are you? What are you? It's all about decisions and choices. It's all about vantage point. Breaking Bad, is Walter White a bad guy? I mean, yes, but maybe also not. Maybe he's a good dude. Did I answer this is any way well?
Javelin referring to himself in the third person, was that in the script or was that something--
Flula Borg: I just decided to do that 14 minutes ago here.
Oh, okay.
Flula Borg: Yeah. I've also not... I tend to remember the script. It's very helpful to me, just to brainwash. It's like I have a Men in Black pen. I just do it, every morning I just do it. Who are you? Oh, please great, and scene.
Have you talked about spin offs, sequels, franchise deals?
Flula Borg: Well Javelin has already written all of these contracts himself. There's a long form, the lawyers are working out the deets. In his mind.
So he lives?
Flula Borg: Who?
Javelin?
Flula Borg: Yeah, he lives in all of us. If you close your eyes and think of a spear, that's not Javelin, that's a spear. Yes, very. Yes, he's an Estonian comic book hero.
You said you read comics, what comics did you read to get ready for this?
Flula Borg: To get ready for this, just the Javelin ones, the Green Lantern number 173 is his first one. I was reassured to hear that Javelin, when written out, has a German accent because if it was not, oops. Definitely not from Lexington.
Was it accurate? The way it was written out?
Flula Borg: It was wonderful, yes. Oh it was great. It's so fun to read that. Germans are wonderful bad guys, for reasons we don't need to get into, we've all at least hit middle school at some point here, so we know. But yes, it's very, very fun to just be a bad guy, to hear the German out loud. When you read it and see how it is spelled it's tasty.
Did the character you saw in the comics influence what you're doing in the movie at all? Or are you completely on the script?
Flula Borg: A blending because if you look at the comic book and you look at the costume, there is some similarity but there are also some differences. I kind of... Other problem is if you imagine too much and make too many decisions in your brain and then you arrive to a place and everything is different, it's like if I go to a place and bring chili but it's all vegetarian so what do I do with this beef? I mean, I'll eat it in the parking lot before I go in.
Are you known among people who know you as a comedy actor or an action hero? Or are you beyond such distinctions?
Flula Borg: My parents know me as just a man who uses the bathroom three to five times a day who needs about 3500 calories. Everyone else, I usually don't make eye contact. This is the most eye contact I've experienced in two fortnites. Very hyper at the moment, it's a lot, it's intense.
We remember at the time they were filming the first Suicide Squad, some of the cast members are returning, it was like a family, like a gang in front of the camera and behind. There's a lot of new faces here but is that still, kind of by the nature of who these characters are and the people you need to gather to play them?
Flula Borg: I think because I think it's safe to say these are all very fun characters to play, like really fun to dive in and do this because they are not all proper. So I think having this as a background and also we are all excited to do this. Yes, it's absolutely a very fun off the screen sassy fun time.
The other members of the squad, their costumes, they're very earth tones.
Flula Borg: Earth tones.
Perfect for a jungle.
Flula Borg: Yes. Is this a Queer Eye episode? I like where this is going.
Not yet but we may get there.
Flula Borg: Yeah please, let's go.
A lot of color, vibrant.
Flula Borg: Who? Javelin?
Javelin, of course.
Flula Borg: Yes, of course. Well Javelin is that iPhone case that you buy in case you're going traveling somewhere and don't want to lose it. So if you're in the South Terminal of Hartsfield, who is going to be easier to spot on a couch?
Javelin.
Flula Borg: We don't even, yeah, duh. Also safety, jogging at night, which Javelin does all the time. Oncoming traffic, other traffic, everyone sees him.
So is Waller worried about losing him?
Flula Borg: I can't enter Waller's brain yet but I think Javelin's a pretty tasty morsel. Yeah. I'm hungry.
You have the delight of seeing Sean Gunn transcending--
Flula Borg: Space and time?
What is that like seeing that happen?
Flula Borg: When he morphs?
Embodying a weasel?
Flula Borg: Oh, I don't know what is allowed. Very fun. To watch a human man play a weasel man is good. This is very fun. Yeah, to observe this is really great. This one you want no dialogue of your own, you just want to observe. You're just a librarian on the wall, you're just watching. Is that how you say it? Thank you.
What do you think of the soundtrack that James has in mind?
Flula Borg: Yeah I think it is very great, vague, vague, vague. As with all James Gunn productions we know it's going to be just dope. It fits, the things fit, which I like. By that I mean songs and locations. You know, right?
Have you made a joke about not being able to see John Cena yet?
Flula Borg: Why? What's he wearing?
No, the 'you can't see me,' John Cena.
Flula Borg: Oh he's not cooking what The Rock is--
He says "You can't see me."
Flula Borg: Oh he has cataracts.
No, everyone else does. We do.
Flula Borg: Everyone, so he says "Everyone has cataracts."
Next time you see John, be like "I don't see anybody."
Flula Borg: I don't see anybody, who is there? I have cataracts.
He'll get it.
Flula Borg: Will he refer me to an optometrist or what?
We've heard he's shockingly good at improv.
Flula Borg: Yeah. John was, I was a horse in this film called Ferdinand, which is a cartoon about Ferdinand the Bull and he plays the bull so we got to interact many times. It's very confusing to see a man who could crush you very simply just by saying "You have astigmatism" and also be funny. It's amazing.
The two of you out of the entire team seem like you are members of a completely different team that's been mixed up with these criminals.
Flula Borg: Great, so I'm in a shoebox with John? What size shoe? Huge, thank you. Some breathing room, yes.
What about working with Idris? He's such a proper actor and all that kind of thing. This is probably the most ridiculous thing, I was going to say most ridiculous thing since Fast and the Furious. On that note, working with an actor like him?
Flula Borg: Well this is how good he is. I love the show called The Wire. When I see anybody from The Wire that is not playing someone from The Wire on my television I become confused and angry because I don't understand how this thing is not real. That's how believable this was. So even just Idris speaking in his normal Idris voice, I'm confused. I can't believe that this other thing existed that he was just living in a perfect way. Also, he's a dope DJ, does anybody know this? Check out the song Boasting, just saying, very good.
What about Margot? How does Harley Quinn treat a person like Javelin?
Flula Borg: Javelin doesn't worry about how people treat him. He treats them... What's the golden rule? He has the Javelin rule, which is like suck it, I'm cool. I think that's his rule. She's also great. Again, someone else where the person that is on the screen and the person that is not on the screen, which is the same person, they are so different. It's a very wonderful thing to watch, an immediate instant transformation. It's like a Chia Pet except it doesn't take three to five days. You don't have to water her, it just happens. She stays hydrated but that's her own thing. We all do that.
What can you tell us about TDK?
Flula Borg: I just saw Weasel there, thank you for putting my eyes in this direction. TDK is a wonderful man. I got to meet him. I still don't know what the letters are standing for, I refuse to know, so if you know I don't want to know. If it's a cassette tape manufacturing company cool, but that's all I know. I just very much like this. I think this is cool.
What's your favorite snack to eat?
Flula Borg: You just threw it up and I had a javelin and I hit that question so deep. My favorite snack? Have you heard of Trader Joe's? I have a two part for this question.
Of course.
Flula Borg: Okay, thank you. There is a chocolate covered pretzel bite filled with peanut butter. Take a whole bag of this, sit and watch whatever you like, who cares, you're eating these bites. Purchase an almond butter crunchy, slather, slather. Yes. Yes.
They provide those for you here?
Flula Borg: No, I do this myself.
