Writer and director James Gunn has always had a keen eye for talent dating back to his Troma days and going through to his work with Guardians of the Galaxy. Now, he's bringing that knack for locking down talent to The Suicide Squad as he hunts down and catches his own Ratcatcher.
Daniela Melchior is wanted as this lesser known DC Comics villain. The Portuguese actress is in negotiations to take on the role in what has been described as both a quasi-reboot and a sequel to David Ayer's 2016 effort Suicide Squad. Once officially signed to the movie, Daniela Melchior will be joining newcomers John Cena and Idris Elba. Believed to be returning from the original are Margot Robbie reprising her role as Harley Quinn and Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang. David Dastmalchian is in talks to take on Polka-Dot Man.
Idris Elba was originally supposed to take over the role of Deadshot from Will Smith, who can not take part in the sequel. But now Elba will play a new role, leaving space open for Will Smith to return at some point in the DCEU, and perhaps he could even turn up here in a cameo if time permits, but that hasn't been announced by anyone directly associated with the movie, and would probably be saved as a surprise if it happened.
Related: Jai Courtney Explains His Return as Captain Boomerang in The Suicide Squad
Ratcatcher is traditionally a male character in the DC Comics. He is an obscure Batman villain. James Gunn is taking some liberties with the character, and she will somehow be connected to Idris Elba's as yet undisclosed character. At this time, Warner Bros. is not commenting on the role of Ratcatcher and the casting of Daniela Melchior, which indicates that talks are ongoing. So something could change in the interim.
James Gunn was first hired to write The Suicide Squad. It was announced earlier this year that he would also direct. The filmmaker turned his attentions to DC Comics after getting fired by Disney and Marvel as director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Since The Suicide Squad news was announced, Disney had a change of heart and hired James Gunn back to also direct Guardians 3. But now, this movie is taking precedence. The Suicide Squad is expected to begin shooting in September, and will hit theaters August 6, 2021.
It was announced yesterday that Marvel is targeting a 2020 start date for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. That means James Gunn will be on the press tour for The Suicide Squad while he's working for Marvel, which will be interesting, to say the least, as Marvel and DC have long been rivals in the comic book industry. And while certain individuals have been associated with both camps, never at the same time in quite this capacity.
The original Suicide Squad directed by David Ayer was a huge success with $746.8 million at the worldwide box office. But many fans and critics didn't necessarily like the finished project. Many believe the film is too choppy and incoherent, which some sources blame on there being too many cooks in the kitchen, with Ayer rushing through the screenwriting phase of the movie, and reshoots changing the tone midway through. James Gunn will be in control of the ship now, and hopefully that will make for a more cohesive experience behind the scenes.
The Suicide Squad will be the first major film role for Daniela Melchior. She has mainly worked in Portuguese movies and television. This news was first reported in Variety.
