C’mon, you knew they weren’t really dead.
At the end of The Suicide Squad (2021) — James Gunn’s triumphant reboot-sequel hybrid, which finally gives DC Comics’ notorious “Task Force X” its due — audiences learn two characters previously thought dead actually survived the film. If you’re avoiding spoilers: What’re you even doing here? Also, get out right now because we’re about to get into it.
Weasel survived that drowning and the subsequent beach massacre
First up, there’s Weasel. Played by the director’s younger brother Sean Gunn, who’s perhaps best known for his role as Kirk on Gilmore Girls, this cannibalistic humanoid was seemingly killed before the opening battle even started. (FYI, Sean Gunn also plays “Calendar Man” in a later scene, who yes, plans his crimes based on the calendar. For like holidays and stuff.)
When A.R.G.U.S. intelligence forgets to check if their soldiers can swim prior to dumping them out of a helicopter and into the ocean for a beach-front assault, the Weasel flails around gasping for a bit before seemingly sinking into the cold, dark depths. Thankfully, a mid-credits moment reveals the lovable vermin actually pulled through the surprise bath and made it to shore.
Credit: warner bros.
There, Weasel seemingly laid unconscious long enough to keep from being another supervillain casualty in A.R.G.U.S.’s heinous decoy plot. So, at the end, Weasel just pops up off the sand and skitters into the jungles of Corto Maltese for some much-needed r and r. Good for him/her/them/it!
Of course, the Weasel’s pals Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Savant (Michael Rooker), Blackguard (Pete Davidson), The Detachable Kid (Nathan Fillion), Mongal (Mayling Ng), and Javelin (Flula Borg) weren’t so lucky. Or, at least, we don’t think they were…
Peacemaker survived that building collapse
At the end of the credits, we also learn that good ol’ douchebag Peacemaker, played by John Cena, didn’t die in the collapse of the Jotunheim lab-turned-fortress. It’s a move that sets up the forthcoming HBO Max series Peacemaker, also created by James Gunn and expected to debut in 2022. But whether Peacemaker will be an anti-hero, a hero-hero, or a straight-up villains remains to be seen.
Recall, after murdering Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) for threatening to reveal the U.S. government’s role in unleashing “Project Starfish” onto the world, Peacemaker chases down the only witness to his doublecross, Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior). But right when he has her cornered, Peacemaker is stopped by Bloodsport (Idris Elba). After a harrowing fight sequence, the building collapses around the former allies and Peacemaker’s body is seemingly crushed under debris.
Once the credits are finished, however, we see Peacemaker lying in a hospital bed. A.R.G.U.S. agents Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee) explain they’ve come to collect the super-dickhead for another job on behalf of the U.S. government. Economos speculates A.R.G.U.S. director Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) has “saddled” them with Peacemaker as revenge for their insubordination during the attack on Corto Maltese. But Harcourt explains that no, in fact, they really need him — “just to save the fucking world, that’s all.”
Credit: warner bros.
As the DC Cinematic Universe makes its pivot to serialized live-action adventures (h/t Disney+ I guess?), Peacemaker will play a central role in its success. Whether he’ll be a new Big Bad or a protagonist ripe for the redemption arc is tough to say, but the comics give us a clue.
Though there have been multiple iterations of Peacemaker, the character is almost always anchored in a strong belief in non-violent world-saving. Sometimes that comes across as an earnest, tortured motivation, but more often it’s portrayed as intense hypocrisy indicative of a deeper character flaw. Peacemaker’s dialogue in The Suicide Squad — for example, “I cherish peace with all my heart and I’ll kill any man, woman, or child I need to to get it”— tells us Gunn and Cena will be grounding their take on the character in an uber thick bed of assholery.
Characters can change, sure, and maybe Peacemaker’s evolution will fuel the plot behind his HBO Max series. But let’s hope any future The Suicide Squad spinoffs maintain the cynical comedy stylings that made this movie work so well. Heck, let’s even hope we get Weasel back.
The Suicide Squad is in theaters and streaming on HBO Max (with the ad-free plan).
