EXCLUSIVE: Suicide Squad Creator John Ostrander Explains Who Should Be On Movie Teams Roster
Last month, the trend toward darker comic book fare in Hollywood seemed to continue with the announcement that DC Comics popular supervillain team-up series Suicide Squad was headed for the big screen under the guidance of Sherlock Holmes producer Dan Lin.
Featuring an ever-changing cast of DC villains forced to fulfill missions for a covert government agency (and often dying in the course of doing so), the Suicide Squad series that debuted in 1986 was created by veteran comics writer John Ostrander. I spoke with Ostrander after the recent movie deal announcement to get his thoughts on what a Suicide Squad movie should involve and whether the creator of the team will have a hand in their big-screen debut.
The well-known Batman, Spectre, GrimJack and current Star Wars: Legacy comics writer told MTV News that he had only learned of the movie deal that morning, courtesy of the same report that broke the news to the general public. However, he was more than happy to offer up some thoughts on the characters that any faithful adaptation of the Suicide Squad series should include on the teams roster.
I think that [government liaison to the team] Amanda Waller is a necessity, said Ostrander. Ditto for Deadshot, Rick Flag, Bronze Tiger, Nightshade, and the original Captain Boomerang.
While such a lineup of might seem like a tall order, its worth noting that none of these characters have appeared in any of DC/Warner Bros prior movies so they could avoid the troubles normally associated with recasting roles. As far as his involvement in the project, Ostrander told MTV that he hasnt been contacted at this point, but that doesnt necessarily mean I wont in the future (or I will).
Yet, even with the rights secured, that doesnt mean were guaranteed to see Ostranders team of unwilling heroes on the big screen but the popular creator remains optimistic.
I wish them luck, said Ostrander. Having a Squad movie (or several) would be a kick and I think the concept, well executed, would work like gangbusters. Im full of hope for it.