Suicide Squad actor Joel Kinnaman will reprise his role as Rick Flag in James Gunn's 2021 sequel. He gave some insight about the likely less serious DC entry and working with Gunn in a conversation with Variety.
"He’s an incredible guy," he explained to Variety. "He’s written a fantastic script. It’s so funny... I feel like I’m shooting my first comedy. There are a lot of really funny people there. It’s like a learning experience. I’m around a lot of incredible funny people."
The first Suicide Squad did have some comedic moments, but Gunn has become known for his comic approach to superhero storytelling thanks to his films Super and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Kinnaman isn't the only actor who will reprise his role, as Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, and Jai Courtney have all returned for the sequel. Gunn has already explainedJared Leto's Joker character likely won't make an appearance; Joaquin Phoenix's take on the character fresh in audience's memories the chances are even less likely. Kinnaman didn't comment on Leto's notable absence, but he did offer his opinion on what Phoenix brought to the character.
"Joaquin [Phoenix] just crushed it. Wow. He is incredible. He’s such an actor," Kinnaman said. "It’s surprising to see that kind of a performance in something that has a DC wrapper on it, because that’s a real art film. And I have a sister who’s schizophrenic, and I’ve drawn on some of her behavioral things in things that I’ve done earlier, and, yeah, I was really struck by how accurate his [performance was]."
While The Suicide Squad was shooting in Atlanta recently, Gunn took a majority of the cast to a screening of Joker. The sequel is expected to hit theaters Aug. 6, 2021.
