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Why Harley Quinn Has to Be in 'Suicide Squad 2': Five Stories We Hope for

David Ayer let it slip that 'Suicide Squad 2' was in the planning stages.

By Tyler S. CallawayPublished 6 years ago 6 min read
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The Suicide Squad train came and went, and while for many people the film didn't live up to the hype, it has still made a significant amount of money for Warner Bros. with $640.1 million dollars before crawling to the finish line. So, it was no surprise when David Ayer let it slip that Suicide Squad 2 was in the planning stages.

Not only is a sequel very much in play, but Ayer has also shown interest in having the film be R-Rated. An R-rated Suicide Squad was something that people were expecting for the first film's outing, but David Ayer explained how that wasn't going to be possible:

“For an R movie, you have to decide to do it right out the gate, and that was never the case here. We were always going to hit the PG-13 rating. But the film is meant to be that. It’s got edge, and it’s got attitude. And it’s got its own voice… There’s a lot in the film that’s going to surprise people.”

David Ayer and Will Smith.

The Wrap reported that David Ayers next directing venture Bright would star Deadshot himself, Will Smith, and that it is purposely being fitting into each of their schedules in order to make sure they are free to film the Suicide Squad sequel.

Where does this leave arguably the most influential character from the movies, Harley Quinn though? Margot Robbie has of course yet to be confirmed for the sequel, but is it really much of a question that she will return?

The Suicide Squad marketing team went out of their way to make sure that fans got as much Harley as possible. She was featured heavily in ads leading up to the release of the film and since the film hit theaters, her merchandise has only doubled.

This marketing was not all the filmmakers did to push the envelope of just how important Harley Quinn is to Suicide Squad. Her character was featured more then any other character in the film aside from Deadshot, and she was the focal point for most of the film. It would be madness if Warner Bros. actually were to leave her out of a potential sequel.

While we have no idea what will happen in the DCEU between now and then, or where Harley Quinn will be by the time Suicide Squad 2 comes out, I'm sure the writers will find a way to conveniently fit her into the movie and return to wreak havoc — in a good way — for Amanda Waller.

What Kind Of Story Could We See In Suicide Squad 2?

With such a rich comic book history comes many great stories that David Ayer could pull from for inspiration. While the first Suicide Squad took its cue from multiple first issues in order to create the script, there are many more stories to draw from.

Could we see one of these stories become the plot to Suicide Squad 2, and if so, which one? I have compiled a list of five stories that I think could be used as a base for the plot of the sequel.

5. The Final Mission

  • Where To Read It: Suicide Squad Vol. 1 Issues 63-66

This storyline took the squad to a fictional island known as Diabloverde that is being enslaved by a superpowered dictator who tortures the poor inhabitants. Not only that, but he has made his own version of the Suicide Squad to help him in tormenting his prisoners. So the Squad has to travel to the island to dethrone the dictator and clear their name.

This story just sounds like a sequel to Suicide Squad, doesn't it? The stakes are upped and the story is such a fun read. While this storyline was designed to be the ending run for the original series, it obviously didn't stick and this story could be reworked to fit into the current DCEU.

4. Apokolips Now

  • Where To Read It: Suicide Squad Vol. 1 Issues 33-36

Suicide Squad in space anyone? This is a story that sees the Squad getting sent off to the planet Apokolips, home of Darkseid. The Squad has to try and find their way back home, and survive the deadly gods that are waiting for them. This story is perfect for an R-Rated Suicide Squad movie, because it features a lot of death and crude humor.

We know that Darkseid is on his way to the DCEU, and Suicide Squad 2 could fall right in line to Darkseid's face off with the Justice League. If Suicide Squad 2 was to be set in space with the Squad having to take on the superpowered beings that inhabit Apokolips, it would be a vast change of pace compared to the first movie and be able to show off the true potential of the Squads power.

3. The Janus Directive

  • Where To Read It: Checkmate Vol. 1 Issues 15-18, Suicide Squad Vol. 1 Issues 27-30, Manhunter Vol. 2 Issue 14, Firestorm Vol. 2 Issue 86, Captain Atom Vol. 1 Issue 30

More then one Squad? What happens when more government agencies take Amanda Waller's concept for Task Force X and make their own Suicide Squad? All hell breaks loose. Groups like Checkmate, Central Bureau of Intelligence, Project Atom, Peacemaker Project, and the Force of July all are formed with their own group of villains. It is all working fine until the villain Kobra decides he wants control of all the organizations and attempts to assassinate Amanda Waller and replace her with a body double.

This story has a ton of conflict within it and It would be fun to see even more villains from DC lore to make it into the film. Imagine getting someone like Deathstroke thrown in to the mix? This has a lot of potential in the film world if done properly, but if you want to read the story for yourself... you have a lot of work to do. This story takes place over multiple issues across many different titles, but it is worth the read. If tracking down old comics isn't your thing, the story is also collected as Suicide Squad Volume 4.

2. Final Round

  • Where To Read It: Suicide Squad Vol. 1 Issues 21 and 22

This was a two part story that mainly focused on Rick Flag, Amanda Waller, and Deadshot. Amanda Waller has been blackmailed by a Squad liaison and a senator. The senator threatened to reveal the existence of the Squad if Waller did not help him win re-election. Rick Flag catches wind of this and is determined to protect the members of the Squad he has grown to love and sets out to kill both the liaison and the senator.

What Flag didn't know was Waller already had it under control and had gathered blackmail on each in order to have the upper hand. She sends out the Squad to stop Rick Flag by "any means necessary."

This would be a major turning point for the Suicide Squad as we essentially see the boy scout Rick Flag go rogue and Amanda Waller shows her true colors with her lack of empathy towards her right hand man. Both the Squad and Rick are put through their own emotional trials as neither wants to hurt the other, but doesn't have a choice.The story also features some gruesome deaths that will attract David Ayer's R-rated vision. This is possibly the best Suicide Squad story ever written and as short as it is, it is worth the read.

1. In Control/Out of Control

  • Where To Read It: Batman: The Killing Joke, Suicide Squad Vol. 1 Issues 23, 48, and 49

This was a very historical comic run for DC Comics, because this was the debut of Oracle after the events of The Killing Joke. This story saw a brand new villain known as the Thinker rise up and Amanda Waller's Squad tasked with taking him down. During all of this, an elite cyber hacker is helping the Squad tracking down the Thinker and is later revealed to be Barbara Gordon a.k.a. Oracle behind the keyboard.

This could be a brilliant idea for David Ayer's R-rated Squad because this could be the introduction of Barbara Gordon into the DCEU. What if Suicide Squad 2 was where we got to see Barbara Gordon's point of view from the Killing Joke? Jared Leto returned and they acted out that iconic scene? That comic was so brutal that it would need an R-rating to do it justice, even just Barbara's scenes.

We would also be introduced to a very complex villain that does not get much respect these days in the Thinker. While some fans might be disappointed to see the Oracle story done as a subplot, I think it can be done with justice and might be the best we can get from the current DCEU.

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Tyler S. Callaway

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