It looks like David Dastmalchian will be pulling double duty for both Marvel and DC, as the highly in-demand actor has closed a deal to play a fairly significant role in James Gunn's
The Suicide Squad.
According to
THR, Dastmalchian will play an obscure villain named The Polka-Dot Man, who was first introduced back in the '60s as a low-level Batman baddie. The character used a variety of weaponized polka-dot costumes, but we're hearing he will be given a meta-human upgrade for the big screen.
Although Gunn's movie will feature some returning characters from the original such as Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), it's expected to be more of a reinvention that a direct sequel.
Idris Elba and
John Cena are also on board in undiclosed roles, but the latter is believed to be playing Peacemaker.
The Suicide Squad is set to hit theaters on August 6th, 2021. To find out more about Polka-Dot Man and some of the other new Task Force X members that'll be introduced in the movie, hit the "view list" button below.
King Shark
Okay, so we gave this one away in the thumbnail because he shouldn't be much of a surprise.
King Shark, aka Nanaue, is a regular member of the team in the comics and was originally going to appear in the first movie before the idea was nixed.
We don't have any details on how he'll be introduced in
The Suicide Squad, but it's a safe bet he'll be brought to life via CGI.
Polka-Dot Man
Ummm, okay?
The Polka-Dot Man, aka Mister Polka-Dot, is a minor villain who fought Batman and Robin early in their careers. In the comics, the polka-dots in his costume were gimmicked with explosives and such, but it sounds like the movie version will give him actual superpowers.
Apparently,
"He grows multi-colored polka dots on his body that he can turn into fireballs and other weapons, even though, for the most part, he’s embarrassed about his awkward abilities."
Ratcatcher
Another lesser-known Batman baddie, Ratcatcher was a man named Otis Flannegan in the comics, but the role will reportedly be gender-switched for the film.
She's described as
"an exterminator in Gotham City that turning to a life of crime, aided by an army of small rodents she can communicate with and control. She’s also a fan of poisonous gas."
Apparently, Ratcatcher will be a surrogate daughter of sorts to Deadshot.
Peacemaker
Peacemaker, aka Chris Smith, is a pacifist diplomat so committed to peace that he's willing to use violence to achieve it. In the comics, he suffers from mental illness brought on by some serious daddy issues, but we're not sure whether the movie will follow suit.
Collider's report does mention that Gunn wants his old
GOTG pal Dave Bautista to play this role, but whether that actually happens remains to be seen.