Meet the cast of The Suicide Squad
From Peter Capaldi's Thinker to Nathan Fillion's mysterious TDK.
Director James Gunn has finally unveiled his characters in upcoming film, The Suicide Squad - and it's a very unique bunch indeed.
At the weekend's DC FanDome event, Gunn gave us a roll call, showing a whole bunch of brand new character who will join Viola Davis as Amanda Waller and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.
Doctor Who fans will be delighted to see Peter Capaldi has been confirmed as Thinker in Suicide Squad 2, an incredibly intelligent man who is so smart and so considered, his powers are likened to that of a clairvoyant. The twist? His character is actually supposed to be quite young, but his supreme mind has aged him.
We also got a glimpse of Idris Elba's Bloodsport, a villain who takes on Superman with kryptonite bullets. (There have been many versions of the character throughout the DC Universe, so we're not too clear on his abilities in The Suicide Squad just yet.)
Perhaps the one who prompted the biggest reaction on social media was the terrifying/adorable King Shark, while Pete Davidson, Nathan Fillion, John Cena and Alice Braga are among the others taking on villainous superhero roles for this upcoming blockbuster.
One actor who was missing from any of the trailers was Taika Waititi - who has been confirmed to have a starring role in the film. There have been early rumours suggesting he will perform a voiceover in the movie since he hasn't been seen yet - but nothing has been confirmed.
Here's everything you need to know about The Suicide Squad cast.
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
Who is Harley Quinn? Would it truly be a Suicide Squad film without Harley Quinn? Australian star Margot Robbie is reprising the iconic role for her third outing as the Joker's psychotic ex.
We last saw Harley Quinn take on gangster Roman Sionis in Bird's of Prey, so we can't wait to see what she'll be tasked with doing when she's reunited with the rest of the Suicide Squad.
Who is Margot Robbie? Australian star Robbie shot to fame after starring opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), and has since become a household name with roles in the first Suicide Squad, Focus, I Tonya, Mary Queen of Scots and Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.
Her performances in the latter and 2019 drama Bombshell earned her Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Glove Award nominations.
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller
Who is Amanda Waller? Waller is the government official in charge of banding the Suicide Squad together and threatening the DC villains with an explosive death if they don't comply with her orders.
Who is Viola Davis? Davis will be reprising her role as the no-nonsense high-ranking boss, which she first played in 2016's Suicide Squad.
The award-winning actress is best known for starring in 2008's Doubt, which earned her an Academy Award nomination, as well as The Help, Fences and recent heist film Widows. She also made a name for herself as lawyer in the Shonda Rhimes drama How to Get Away with Murder.
Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag
Who is Rick Flag? Military man Rick Flag is returning to keep an eye on the DC squad, leading them into their next battle. In the 2016 film, the special forces soldier fell in love with June Moone (Cara Delevigne), however it doesn't appear that she'll be back for this follow-up.
Who is Joel Kinnaman? Swedish actor Kinnaman is best known for starring in The Killing, Altered Carbon and House of Cards, as well as the RoboCop remake in 2014.
Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang
Who is Captain Boomerang? Captain Boomerang – also known as George 'Digger' Harkness – is joining the Squad once again on their upcoming mission. The weapons expert was captured by The Flash after a failed diamond heist, leading to his incarceration and induction into the group.
Who is Jai Courtney? Australian actor Courtney rose to fame with his role in 2012's Jack Reacher and has since starred in A Good Day to Die Hard, I Frankenstein, Divergent and Terminator Genisys.
Idris Elba as Bloodsport
Who is Bloodsport? While little is known about James Gunn's version of Bloodsport, some are convinced that The Suicide Squad's Bloodsport could be the Robert DuBois incarnation – a man who becomes obsessed with the Vietnam War after finding out his brother went to fight in his place.
According to the comics, Bloodsport became the enemy of Superman, fighting him on behalf of Lex Luthor, and adopts the name Bloodsport after terrorising Metropolis on a gun-toting killing spree.
Who is Idris Elba? The Suicide Squad isn't British star Idris Elba's first superhero rodeo, having portrayed Heimdall in the Thor and Avengers films.
He is best known for starring in BBC One's Luther, HBO's The Wire and films Beasts of No Nation, The Jungle Book and Star Trek Beyond.
Steve Agee as King Shark
Who is King Shark? King Shark is a metahuman with shark-like characteristics and abilities. He has superhuman strength, shark-like teeth and enhanced senses.
Who is Steve Agee? Comedian Steve Agee is best known for starring on The Sarah Silverman Program, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Brightburn and The Hive.
Nathan Fillion as TDK
Who is TDK? TDK seems to be a completely new creation of Gunn's, so we know very little about his powers or why he's in The Suicide Squad – although some fans seem to think TDK might stand for The Detachable Kid, which could be a nod to obscure character Arm-Fall-Off-Boy. This hero has the ability to detach his own limbs and use them as blunt weapons.
Who is Nathan Fillion? Canadian-American actor Fillion is best known for playing Captain Mal Reynolds on Firefly, Richard Castle on Castle and John Nolan on The Rookie. He recently starred in the Guardians of the Galaxy films and had a guest role on Rick and Morty.
John Cena as Peacemaker
Who is Peacemaker? Peacemaker is one of the newest members of The Suicide Squad, so committed to peace that he's willing to use excessive violence in order to achieve it. Cena described the character as "a douchey Captain America".
Who is John Cena? WWE wrestler-turned-actor John Cena has showed he has range, having starred in Amy Schumer's comedy Trainwreck, releasing a rap album and hosting Fox's Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader.
He recently acted in Blockers, Bumblebee, Daddy's Home 2 and the upcoming Fast and Furious film, F9.
Peter Capaldi as The Thinker
Who is The Thinker? The Thinker, real name Clifford DeVoe, is a super-intelligent super-villain with clairvoyant abilities.
Who is Peter Capaldi? Capaldi is best known as the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who and as the sweary Director of Communications Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It. He recently starred in The Personal History of David Copperfield, Christopher Robin and Watership Down.
Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2
Who is Ratcatcher 2? Ratcatcher 2 appears to be a female version of the comic book supervillain – an exterminator who developed a special ability to communicate with and train rats.
Who is Daniela Melchior? Portugese actress Daniela Melchior is making her US film debut in The Suicide Squad, having previously appeared in Portugese dramas – Valor da Vida, A Herdeira and Parque Mayer.
Alice Braga as Sol Soria
Who is Sol Soria? Sol Soria appears to be another gender-swapped character as Juan Soria is an existing supervillain from the DC comics with the power to unlock technology by touching it.
Who is Alice Braga? Brazilian actress Alice Braga acted opposite Will Smith in I Am Legend and has since starred in Predators, Repo Men and The Shack. She currently features in crime drama-thriller Queen of the South.
Pete Davidson as Blackguard
Who is Blackguard? In the DC comics, Blackguard was an enforcer with super strength and an energy shield for the 1,000 – an organised crime group.
Who is Peter Davidson? 26-year-old Pete Davidson rose to fame for his work on sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live and has since guest-starred on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Trainwreck and written and starred in his own film – The King of Staten Island.
David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man
Who is Polka-Dot Man? Polka-Dot Man is an enemy of Batman who developed advanced technology into polka dots which would act as weapons such as a buzzsaw, a man-sized glider, a blinding light and fists.
Who is David Dastmalchian? American actor David Dastmalchian is best known for playing Kurt in the Ant-Man films as well as starring in MacGyver, The Flash and the upcoming Dune adaptation.
Sean Gunn as Weasel
Who is Weasel? In the DC comics, Weasel was a murderer who dressed as a weasel to embark on a killing spree – however in The Suicide Squad, he appears to be completely animalistic.
Who is Sean Gunn? Sean Gunn is often cast in motion-capture roles in his brother James' films, having provided the motion-capture performance for Rocket in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. He also played the role of Kraglin in the films and appeared in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Super and Bunheads.
Juan Diego Botto as General Luna
Who is General Luna? General Silvio Luna is a ruthless South American dictator.
Who is Juan Diego Botto? Argentine-Spanish actor Botto has mainly appeared in Spanish-language films and series but recently starred in Netflix thriller White Lines.
Joaquín Cosío as Major General Suarez
Who is Major General Suarez? Major General Suarez is General Luna's number two.
Who is Joaquín Cosío? Cosío is a Mexican actor who has appeared in Eastbound & Down, Quantum of Solace, Savages and Narcos: Mexico.
Mayling Ng as Mongal
Who is Mongal? Mongal is an alien warrior and the daughter of an alien warlord from the planet Warworld.
Who is Mayling Ng? Ng is a black belt Martial Artist who has appeared in Acceleration, Blood Hunters: Rise of the Hybrids and The Debt Collector 2.
Michael Rooker plays Savant
Who is Savant? Savant is a vigilante who is the batty heir to an enormous fortune and possesses formidable computer skills.
Who is Michael Rooker? US actor Michael Rooker starred in the Guardians of the Galaxy film as Yondu and previously played Merle Dixon in The Walking Dead.
Flula Borg plays Javelin
Who is Javelin? An enemy of the Green Lantern, Javelin is a former professional athlete who turned to a life of crime.
Who is Flula Borg? Borg is a German actor and YouTube personality who began his acting career by featuring in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Pitch Perfect 2 and The Good Place.
Storm Reid plays Tyla
Who is Tyla? Tyla is reportedly BloodSport's daughter but James Gunn has given very little away about her.
Who is Storm Reid? 17-year-old Storm Reid first starred in 12 Years a Slave, before acting in A Wrinkle in Time, Don't Let Go, The Invisible Man and recently, Netflix's When They See Us and HBO drama Euphoria.
The Suicide Squad doesn't have a release date yet. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.
Authors
Helen Daly is the Associate Editor for Radio Times, overseeing new initiatives and commercial projects for the brand. She was previously Deputy TV Editor at a national publication. She has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Media & Journalism from Newcastle University.
