The Suicide Squad
If recent reports are to be believed , Hollywood ’s current lucky boy , Dwayne " The Rock " Johnson , will bemaking an appearanceas Black Adam in the forthcomingSuicide Squad 2- and that could be just the kick the sequel to the dissentious DCEU photographic film need . Unusually , Johnson was attached to DC’sShazam!long before the movie upchuck its titular whiz ( now confirmed to beZachary Levi ) , although perhaps even strange was that the task marks the former wrestler ’s first real foray into comic book picture , as well as a rare recent turn in a more nefarious use . Weirder still , it was confirmed earlier this year thatBlack Adam would not be appearing inShazam!after all , and would instead be relieve for asolo venture . Like most comic book characters , Black Adam ’s origin story has morphed over meter , but the frame is often face the arch - bane of Shazam and frequently walks the line between outright villain and anti - hero . His great power and appearance are similar to that of Shazam ’s , with the character originally limn as an Egyptian predecessor to the godlike hero .
How does he work into Task Force X ’s adventures ? The originalSuicide Squadmovie saw a ragtag and bobtail clustering of incarcerated iniquity - doers reluctantly brought together as a last - resort against uttermost threats . Although the release was undoubtedly a fiscal success , thecritical response was far more scathing . Could the inclusion of Hollywood ’s most profitable actor be the missing element that will leadSuicide Squad 2to success across the board and silence the agnostic ?
What Exactly Went Wrong With The Original Suicide Squad?
Arguably , the most overriding critique ofSuicide Squadwas its dominatingly style - over - substance approach that resulted in the ruined product mimicking but ultimately give out to last up to a terrific trailer and cagy marketing cause . It shoot a line an A - list cast , an on - trend soundtrack and a posh visual style yet many fan felt shortchanged once the end credits start to wheel .
For starters , the motion-picture show ’s plot was incriminate of being flimsy , formulaic and often muddled in its logical system . Many of the characters also came in for unfavorable judgment , with the Squad ’s lesser - known members being sideline in favor of the movie ’s prominent stars , leaving the like of Diablo and Rick Flagg noticeably two - dimensional . Reviews were also not fond ofSuicide Squad ’s flat third turn , with the CGI - threatening coming a exceptional issue and the inclusion ofJared Leto ’s Jokeracting largely as a sideshow to the main plot .
Another huge issue develop out ofSuicide Squad ’s key antagonist , Cara Delevingne ’s temptress . While June Moone was designed to draw fellow feeling from the interview , the character reference was so under - developed that when the archeologist was use up over by the Enchantress right , there was no connection and just an elusive menace . This opponent problem was exacerbated by the empty inclusion of Enchantress ' brother Incubus , who distracted screen - metre for no real purpose .
Neither Enchantress nor Joker ( who was restrict to a glorified cameo ) , were an efficient rejoinder to the unique anti - hero nature of the actual Squad in the original moving picture ; some members of the Task Force experience too expansive ( looking at you , Deadshot ) , and those who rest speculative never quite registered due to a lack of direct contrast .
What Does The Rock Offer To Suicide Squad?
Evidently , then , Suicide Squad2has plenty of workplace to do to turn dissenters around , arguably too much for one actor or grapheme to shoulder alone , but there ’s no dubiousness that the presence of Black Adam could greatly meliorate the sequel ’s hazard - albeit only if used correctly .
Put simply , Suicide Squadhad a decided lack of appealing persona . Margot Robbie ’s carrying out may have ensured Halloween 2016 was the year of Harley Quinn but other than that , the dramatis personae of anti - hoagie on offer were , sadly , mostly forgettable . go into Black Adam . Even The Rock ’s most outspoken knocker could n’t accuse the man of lack charisma and ifSuicide Squad2needs an injection of charm and heat , they need reckon no further than Dwayne Johnson , even if he does stop up playing a unsound cat .
In fact , playing a bad guy may be why he is the cure …
The Rock Vs. Suicide Squad
If the report is true and Johnson ’s Black Adam is set to be the MacGuffin ofSuicide Squad 2- a severe weapon of mass destruction that the Squad must assay out - then this sets him up as the antagonist of the piece . Black Adam is , on paper at least , a far more suitable opposition for the Squad to fight against than Enchantress was and would , therefore , hopefully , answer some of the scoundrel - relate issue present in the first pic .
He ’s a strong baddie than Enchantress , so his presence will better absolve institute together the various anti - heroes while also provide a greater challenge , in twist hopefully providingSuicide Squad 2with a more focused plot of ground . large than that , though , The Rock is a more loge agency friendly doer than Cara Delevingne , and Black Adam a more recognisable figure in DC traditional knowledge , so you have a greater audience expectation .
InSuicide Squad , Enchantress and Incubus ended up as little more than CGI constructs with minimal character maturation . As a quality who is destined to be an intact part of the DCEU ’s future , Adam is highly unlikely to be a two - dimensional persona drenched in ill executed extra effects . Indeed , having endure throughThe Scorpion King , Johnson himself is surely wary of that particular pitfall . Many critic conceive that a superhero movie subsist or dies by the quality of its villain , and if Black Adam is to take over those duties inSuicide Squad 2 , the subsequence could be heading towards some serious advance .
Is The Rock Enough To Save Suicide Squad 2?
With all that allege , it ’s worth examining exactly what Dwayne " The Rock " Johnson brings to his motion picture . Charisma certainly , but also superstar power , a bankable name , a brand and a built - in fanbase . Of naturally , these are all things that the originalSuicide Squadalready had in abundance ; the gleam cast of Robbie , Smith , Leto , Davis , Delevingne , etc . was one of the most star - dot superhero lineups this side ofInfinity Warand yet still , the movie failed to apply .
Of all the thingsSuicide Squad2requires to amend upon its herald , yet another en - style A - lister in a minor role is not one of them . Furthermore , The Rock may be a talented role player but for all his profitability , wo n’t be keeping Leonardo DiCaprio up at night with his compass and versatility . If the originalSuicide Squadsuffered from a elan - over - content coming , casting a man who has often been charge of playing slightly different translation of himself in each of his pic would scarce be a house that lessons have been learned .
There is also still a chance , per the original report , that Johnson ’s part inSuicide Squad 2is restricted to a cameo due to his engaged agenda . Regardless of secret plan grandness , that could be a worrying sign as such appearing were a critiqued expanse of the first movie . While many appreciated what Leto tried with his Joker , his integration into the overall plot was woeful ; what was originally one of the movie ’s most exciting prospects quick became a source of defeat as the iconic name rest steadfastly on the outer boundary . Many suspect that Leto ’s presence was more of a marketing stratagem than a genuinely necessary element of the patch and if The Rock ’s Black Adam is destined for a similar role inSuicide Squad 2 , that ’s not going to be pretty .
Dwayne Johnson perhaps is n’t the valet de chambre who can single - handedly turnSuicide Squad 2into a critic ' favorite , then , but the presence of Black Adam could at the least provide a solid chance for some important improvements . By giving the sequel a more meaningful connexion to the across-the-board DCEU and perchance even provide it with a more focussed plot by acting as an exciting new primal resister , Johnson could really live up to his " franchise viagra " moniker here
However , that is utterly dependent on how the fictional character is handle . After all , who would have thought that characters as well - known and loved as The Joker , Harley Quinn and Deadshot , all played by bonafide A - listers no less , could have receive such a tepid fan reaction ? If a movie featuring a Joker cameo can ultimately disappoint DC fans , then one with Black Adam sure enough can .
Whether The Rock in the end joinsSuicide Squad 2or not , any potential melioration upon the original will hinge largely upon music director / writer Gavin O’Connor . If he can get the best out of his talented form , then the rumored addition of Dwayne Johnson will belike be a Brobdingnagian , fan - pleasing bonus . But if the issues of the original movie remain , The Rock will just be another mishandled big name in a franchise that has since moved on to well thing .