Back in August of 2008, Warner Brothers Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov spoke with the Wall Street Journal and state that his plans for future DC Comics adaptations would explore the “dark” and “evil” sides of the characters.
This lead many comic movie fans, including this writer, to expect a slate of films where Superman wrestles with a raging drug addiction and Wonder Woman becomes a crazed serial killer.
That might still happen, but is seems that the dark and evil approach to DC properties for the time being involves a focus on the comic book bad guys.
Varietyannounced last week that Warner Brothers is developing DC comic series Suicide Squad not just as a feature film, but as a potential franchise.
The Suicide Squad concept has appeared in various forms in DC Comics over the years, but the most popular was the 1980s incarnation. That version, which appear to be the one the filmmakers are using, featured a Dirty Dozen like group of supervillains who are forced to work for the U.S. government. If they completed their mission, they’d get a pardon and a release from jail.
The bad guys were kept in line by an explosive device in a bracelet they were forced to wear, which would be detonated if they tried to escape. Their missions were highly dangerous, and often times, team members didn’t make it back alive.
This film joins another DC villain-centric Green Arrow/Supermax film (written as Suicide Squad is by Justin Marks) in Warners’ development schedule.
