A new The Suicide Squad theory explains that King Shark doesn't have a bomb in his neck like the rest of Task Force X's members. James Gunn's entry in the Suicide Squad franchise mostly went in a brand new direction than David Ayer's 2016 film. The Suicide Squad got an R-rating, took a more comedic approach, and focused on mostly new characters. This included Peacemaker (John Cena), Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior). While it is Peacemaker who is getting an HBO Max series, the fan-favorite addition is arguably King Shark.
Voiced by Sylvester Stallone, Nanaue aka King Shark is a giant sentient shark man who is as lovable as he is ferocious. King Shark is utilized by James Gunn to deliver some of The Suicide Squad's goriest moments, as well as some of the funniest and most sincere. He ultimately plays an important role in the finale and stopping Starro the Conqueror from taking over the planet. As much as fans adore King Shark, it is fair to say that he is the smartest member of Task Force X. It is for this exact reason that a theory has popped up using this as an explanation for an apparent The Suicide Squad plot hole.
It is established throughout The Suicide Squad how strong King Shark is and specifically how tough his skin is. This raised questions about how Amanda Waller and the Task Force X program could've implanted the signature neck bomb into King Shark. However, a theory by Reddit user NozakiMufasa suggests that Waller used King Shark's simple mind against him and never actually implanted a bomb inside him. The Suicide Squad showed several of the Task Force X members get the bomb injected into their necks, but it avoided doing so for King Shark. If a neck bomb was impossible for King Shark, then Waller could've lied to him and said that there is one in him still with the hope that he couldn't figure out the truth.
This Suicide Squad 2 theory is fairly compelling considering how the movie presents King Shark. It repeatedly shows that bullets can't penetrate King Shark's skin and that he was strong enough to withstand a building falling him and being tossed by Starro. King Shark's strength is precisely why many thought that him having a bomb was one of The Suicide Squad's plot holes. This theory provides a good explanation for why that isn't the case, although it isn't a perfect solution and might not work when other moments from the movie are taken into consideration.
While King Shark is shown to be quite unstoppable, James Gunn's DCEU movie does show that he can be harmed. Starro's minions leave bite marks across King Shark's body and draw blood. This is a sign that King Shark's skin can be broken by small objects, such as a needle. There is also a moment in The Suicide Squad's ending where Amanda Waller threatens to kill Bloodsport and the rest of the team, including King Shark. When she goes to the destination switch for the neck bombs, King Shark is featured among the other characters. It would be odd for Waller to include him there just for show, especially if everyone else knew that King Shark didn't have a bomb. For these reasons, it does look like this The Suicide Squad theory doesn't totally hold up.
