How the ‘Suicide Squad’ cast looks compared to the comic-book characters

Warner Bros.

“Suicide Squad” is finally here.

After a massive marketing rollout and tons of fan-generated hype, the early word is not great on the DC Comics movie with an all-star cast.

But that won’t stop stampedes from seeing it when it comes out this weekend. “Squad” is looking at a historic box-office launch.

So what and who do you need to know?

Based on the comic-book series of the same name, the Suicide Squad is a team of supervillains recruited to go on missions that have almost no odds of survival. They’re suicide missions, hence the name. The team is made up of almost a dozen unique villains, but many have never appeared in a DC film before.

Here’s what you need to know about each member of the team.

Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) creates the Suicide Squad.

Amanda “The Wall” Waller forms the Suicide Squad and acts as its leader. Because the squad members are all officially serving life sentences in maximum-security prison, she works hard to maintain their cover during missions.

In the comics, she keeps the squad in check by implanting bombs in their necks and threatening to detonate them if they step out of line. But Waller’s greatest weapons are her mind games. She keeps encyclopedic knowledge of each member’s weaknesses and uses them to keep the squad members under control. She wants her team to succeed, but never lets them forget they’re all expendable.

Deadshot (Will Smith) is a sniper and master gunman.

Real name Floyd Lawton, Deadshot is a master assassin and gunslinger. In addition to his sniper rifle, he can fire bullets from his gauntlets and laser monocle.

In the comics, he joins the squad in the hopes of clearing off a life sentence so he can reconnect with his adopted daughter. He also starts an on and off again fling with Harley Quinn. Interestingly, Batman is the one who put Deadshot in prison after foiling an assassination attempt in Gotham City. We know Ben Affleck’s Batman will appear in “Suicide Squad,” so perhaps he’ll be a part of Deadshot’s story.

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), the Joker’s main squeeze, will appear on film for the first time.

Described in the comics as a “psychoanalyst turned psycho,” Harleen Quinzel was once a brilliant psychologist. But she fell in love with her most disturbed patient, The Joker, and soon after took on the persona of “Harley Quinn.”

In the comics, Harley is among the most feared of the squad members because she’s unpredictable and uncontrollable. She’s a surprisingly strong martial artist and Deadshot develops something of a soft spot for her. This is the on-screen debut for the character, and we’ll get to see her life as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, attempting to treat the Joker, and as Harley Quinn, the giggling supervillain and squad member.

Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) is armed and dangerous.

George “Digger” Harkness is Australian mercenary Captain Boomerang.

In the comics, his boomerangs are created from his supernatural ability to generate pure energy, but it looks like he’ll use actual weapons in the film. In the comics, his cocky personality puts him at odds with Deadshot and Waller and he tries to escape the team more than once.

El Diablo (Jay Hernandez) may not be as evil as he looks.

Chato Santana is a former drug dealer who joins the Suicide Squad after accidentally killing a rival drug dealer’s girlfriend and kids. El Diablo can engulf himself in flames, shoot fireballs, and even melt bullets before they can touch him.

In the comics, El Diablo stands apart from the other Suicide Squad members. Unlike the other villains, Diablo joins the team in the hopes of redeeming himself, sometimes praying aloud for forgiveness as he’s forced to do things against his moral code. Arguably, he’s the only Squad member who even has a moral code.

It’s not clear whether Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) is part of the Suicide Squad team.

June Moone is a young artist who unearths the powerful magical being called “The Enchantress.” While some fans speculate The Enchantress will become the villain in the film, Moone and Enchantress are two separate beings who fight for control of one body.

In the comics, when June is in control, she’s a powerful heroine. But when The Enchantress takes over, she’s a nearly unstoppable villain. While she may not be a squad member, her powers “attract the attention” of Waller and her organization. Will Waller try to get her to join the team?

Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) is the muscle of the team.

Born Waylon Jones, Killer Croc has a skin condition that gave him reptilian features that drove him to the sewers and shadows.

He’s most likely the comic-book counterpart role of King Shark, a monstrous human-shark hybrid. Shark was the muscle of the group and seemed to kill people without consequence until a surprising twist involving Waller. We’ll see what plans “The Wall” has for him in the film.

Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) is the team’s straight-laced leader.

Rick Flag is the no-nonsense military man who works for Waller and leads the Suicide Squad on their missions.

In the comics, this role is taken by the Unknown Soldier, a man so dedicated to his mission that he bandages his face and forgets his own identity, becoming only the soldier needed for the mission. If Rick is staying close to this role, he’ll be Waller’s eyes and ears in the field and, like Waller, won’t hesitate to put any member of the team down if they fail to follow orders.

Karen Fukuhara is the swordswoman Katana.

Tatsu Yamashiro is Katana, a samurai and hero in the DC Comics world.

Katana is the one member of the team who volunteers to join without being blackmailed by Waller. In the comics, in addition to her skills in stealth and martial arts, her samurai sword can steal souls. This might make her a match for The Enchantress, who has taken over the body of Cara Delevingne’s character.

Adam Beach will play Slipknot.

Slipknot is an assassin who specializes in using ropes to kill his targets. He appears briefly in the trailers, but it’s possible that he has a bigger role in the film.

The Joker (Jared Leto) isn’t a squad member, but it seems he’ll play an important part in the film.

Trailers appear to show us a glimpse of his relationship with Harley before she joined him as a criminal.

In the comics, The Joker was able to get Harley to drop her guard as a psychiatrist and slowly started working his way into her mind. Harley snapped and helped The Joker escape from prison, and the two became criminal accomplices terrorizing Gotham.

We’ll have to wait to learn more about their troubling relationship and what happens if they meet again. If it’s anything like the comics, it won’t be a feel-good reunion.

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