With more than two dozen characters set to appear in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, some are bound to die in horrible ways. Per their moniker, the squad is infamous for embarking on suicide missions that often result in mass casualties. Not only that, but they also have to contend with the threat posed by their fellow team members — all ruthless, immoral killers — and director Amanda Waller, who could kill them with the press of a button if they step out of line. There are seven characters in particular who are the most likely to die in the upcoming film.
Trailers so far reveal that The Suicide Squad forms two separate teams. One team, which fans have dubbed "The Red Team," appears to be the first to assault Corto Maltese, dropping onto the island from a helicopter. It includes Rick Flag, Harley Quinn, and Captain Boomerang alongside new team members Javelin, Mongal, Savant, TDK, and Blackguard. A second squad is comprised of Bloodsport, Ratcatcher 2, Peacemaker, and Polka-Dot Man, all of whom have more screen time so far.
One theory proposes that members of the Red Team are quickly wiped out in the first battle by an unexpected danger. The second team is a relief squad sent in to rescue the survivors and complete the mission. Since Starro is the movie's main villain, members of the Red Team could be brainwashed to do the telepathic starfish's bidding instead of killed. But many appear to be cannon fodder, a theory that was substantiated when director James Gunn teased character deaths in a tweet, writing, “No character was protected by DC. They gave me carte blanche to do what I wanted ... I wasn’t looking for shock value but I wanted the audience to know anything could happen."
Despite rampant speculation that Harley Quinn will be killed as a way to shock audiences, the fan-favorite character is much more likely to survive to star in sequels. The body count of The Suicide Squad will undoubtedly be high, but Harley Quinn is too profitable to vanish after three films. In trailers, Harley is seen beaten and bloody in what looks like some of the movie's final battle scenes — inner city fighting against armies and attacks by Starro. Harley's unpredictability also gives her an advantage. She might be sent into Corto Maltese with the first team, but wouldn't hesitate to ditch them to save her own skin. It also appears that Harley is abducted at one point, suggesting she's too valuable a hostage to kill immediately.
As the only good guy on the ground with the suicide squad, special forces operative Rick Flag is likely to survive, if only to provide admonishment to members of the team. Rick Flag counterbalances the squad, monitoring their actions and keeping them focused on their mission. Like his boss Amanda Waller, Rick Flag likely has "franchise armor" that will keep him alive for possible sequels. In the trailers, Rick appears to assault Corto Maltese with the first team but survives to launch a rescue mission for Harley Quinn. He's not seen in some of the later battle scenes, suggesting he may be neutralized in some way or controlled by Starro. Regardless, he'll be picking himself out of the rubble by the time the credits roll.
Bloodsport, a deadly assassin portrayed by Idris Elba, is one of the main draws for audiences in The Suicide Squad. As a primary character, it's unlikely he'll be condemned to death. Like Deadshot in 2016's Suicide Squad, Bloodsport seems to have long-term goals in mind, whether it's to kill Superman or simply escape and resume his business as a mercenary. As someone with an endgame, Bloodsport may avoid deadly squabbles with members of the squad who have less to lose. Bloodsport is also seen in the first trailer making an emotional connection with Ratcatcher 2. The bond between them hints at a romantic storyline that makes Bloodsport's character even more essential.
Ratcatcher 2's conversation with Bloodsport marks her as an important character in The Suicide Squad, but it also means she is the one most likely to make a heartfelt sacrifice to save the team. In the first trailer, when Bloodsport swears to get Ratcatcher 2 out of the battle alive, the woman responds with her own oath, promising that she will get Bloodsport out alive. Her drive to protect him during a suicide mission means she might be the one diving on a grenade to save others. As one of the only characters with good intentions, Ratcatcher 2 is also the one most likely to play the hero. The trailer has some epic shots of Ratcatcher 2 using her power to control rats — perhaps to battle Starro drones — but her charisma and superpower appeal don't mean she can't still die.
Despite his suicidal tendencies, Polka-Dot Man appears to survive until the final confrontation against Starro in The Suicide Squad's trailers. In a franchise where characters often get the opposite of what they want, Polka-Dot Man's death wish may hint that he becomes one of the mission's unlucky survivors. Polka-Dot Man, aka Abner Krill, seems unhopeful from the start. His depression sets up his character for an ironic twist in which he is one of the few still standing at the movie's end. Additionally, Krill is one of the more powerful characters, despite his silly appearance. The multicolored polka dots he generates each act as a different kind of weapon.
Peacemaker's fate might be a toss-up were it not for the fact that John Cena's character is already set to star in an HBO Max spinoff series. Peacemaker, created by director James Gunn, will follow the titular character after the events of The Suicide Squad, marking the helmeted vigilante as one of the lucky survivors. Cena shows hints of a great comedic performance in the trailers, while his character's background as a mentally unstable "pacifist" has the potential for a great story. As a cross between the MCU's Captain America and The Boys' Homelander, Peacemaker sets up the DCEU for a hit show that's a mix of black comedy and political commentary.
King Shark's first appearance in The Suicide Squad trailer marked him as a fan favorite, similar to Groot in The Guardians of the Galaxy. His status among fans may have granted him a reprieve from the bloody battles of The Suicide Squad as the DCEU plans future movies and shows. King Shark is also one of the most physically powerful members of the team and seems well-equipped to fight against Starro, the movie's main villain. He's likely to stick around to serve both as a tank and as comic relief.
The Thinker appears only a few times in The Suicide Squad trailers, but his limited screen time feels more like an attempt to prevent plot spoilers than a reflection of his role in the film. In the second trailer, the Thinker has a lengthy, if vague, voiceover, that suggests he has a major role in the overall events of The Suicide Squad. The movie seems to set him up as a major villain who could appear in future movies. Casting Peter Capaldi, the former star of Doctor Who, also suggests his character will stick around.
If Savant's few seconds of screen time in The Suicide Squad trailers wasn't enough to convince audiences he'll die early, there's a telling shot in the second trailer that all but confirms his demise. In an image of Amanda Waller holding a detonation device, Savant's kill switch appears to be flipped in the foreground, with a bright red light marking its activation. Savant is a computer hacker with a genius-level intellect, so it's possible he attempted to hack Waller's system and escape, only to be killed. His character in the comics also has a lengthy history with the Birds of Prey, so perhaps he butts heads with Harley at one point. Whether it's infighting or Waller carrying out her threat, Savant's death seems inevitable.
Captain Boomerang may be a member of the first assault team, but 2016's Suicide Squad proved he has an odd tendency to survive despite the odds. Jai Courtney's boomerang-slinging diamond thief might be one of the few squad members to get brainwashed by Starro or left for dead only to pop up unexpectedly later. With DCEU's The Flash movie on the horizon, many fans would also like to see Captain Boomerang survive to face off with the speedster. As a returning character, however, chances are equally likely Captain Boomerang will die early in order to give more screen time to fresh characters — perhaps at the hands of his fellow villains?
Weasel is an amusing addition to The Suicide Squad, but with King Shark in the picture, he's bound to disappear early in the film. With so many characters on the docket, two non-verbal CGI animals might be a bit much, even for a director who balanced Rocket and Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy. Weasel is played by James Gunn's brother Sean Gunn, but in a movie with such a high body count, no-one is safe.
Fans rejoiced when The Suicide Squad's second trailer confirmed Nathan Fillion would be appearing in the film. Fillion, who has a massive fan following from his time on Firefly and Castle, is playing Arm-Fall-Off-Boy, or The Detachable Kid. T.D.K.'s (slightly absurd) superpower is his ability to detach his arms and use them as weapons, giving an edge of surreal comedy to Fillion's character. Despite Fillion's cult status, however, he appears very briefly in the trailer, hinting at an early death.
In a cast of A-listers, characters played by comedians are often the first to get the axe. With only a few seconds of screen time in the trailers, Pete Davidson's character Blackguard doesn't seem likely to survive the first battle. He's also one of the more underpowered characters, equipped with pistols and a specialized suit that can create an energy shield. Davidson may have given away the game himself in an episode of the Talking Sopranos podcast, when he mentioned with a chuckle that he was in The Suicide Squad for about a minute. His comment prompted fan speculation that his characters lasts literally 60 seconds on screen before being killed in a horrible, yet comedic, fashion.
Mongal is another Red Team character who has only a few appearances in any of The Suicide Squad trailers. The alien warrior is only seen gearing up for the mission and fighting in the first battle on the beach. One shot shows Mongal using her superhuman strength to take down a helicopter, a maneuver that seems to end in a violent explosion.
Javelin's single appearance in The Suicide Squad trailer also marks him as one of the first casualties of the film. If anyone's going to be the first to die, it's the guy flashily spinning his weapon. Javelin's javelin also appears to be wielded later in the movie by Harley Quinn, a telltale sign he's no longer among the living. It's easy to imagine Harley picking over the bodies of her fallen comrades and taking whatever shiny weapon catches her eye.
