Joel Kinnaman discusses The Suicide Squad and Robert Pattinson’s Batman
It’s been a long road for Joel Kinnaman in the DCEU following his debut in the roughly received Suicide Squad in 2016. With James Gunn on board as writer/director for the long-awaited sequel, things are back on track for the big screen leader of the ragtag group of villains, with the actor discussing the next outing in an interview with Variety.
“[James Gunn] is an incredible guy,” Kinnaman said. “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.”
In addition to his excitement over Gunn being on board, Kinnaman also took the time to voice his anticipation over Robert Pattinson, a longtime friend, joining the DC universe as the new Dark Knight, admiring the path he’s taken over the years since starring in the Twilight franchise.
“He just turned down almost everything and spent seven, eight years just doing obscure films with interesting directors. Films that very few people saw,” he said. “But he was going to film school…And now he’s taken on Batman. And I think that’s so smart because now he’s ready to do that. Now he can do his own thing with that, and I think if he’d tried to do something like that maybe five years ago, then it would’ve been something that someone else just put on him. Someone just threw a suit on him. I’m looking forward to what Rob Pattinson is going to do with his Batman.”
In addition to filming the upcoming DC sequel, Kinnaman will also be simultaneously shooting the second season of the Apple+ astronaut drama series For All Mankind, with the first season set to premiere on November 1 on the forthcoming streaming service.
“I’m amazed at what they’ve created,” Kinnaman said. “They’ve done an incredible job with it and it’s just been such a pleasure shooting. I don’t think I’ve been this excited to show something that I’ve done to people.”
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The Suicide Squad cast includes: David Dastmalchian, John Cena, Jai Courtney, Joaquín Cosío, Nathan Fillion, Joel Kinnaman, Maylin Ng, Flula Borg, Sean Gunn, Juan Deigo Botto, Storm Reid, Pete Davidson, Taika Waititi, Alice Brage, Steve Agee, Tinashe Kajese, Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi, Julio Ruiz, Jennifer Holland, Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, and Michael Rooker.
Davis, Robbie, Courtney, and Kinnaman will all play the same roles they had in the 2016 film, reprising as Amanda Waller, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, and Rick Flag, respectively. The cast is also stacked with other James Gunn alums like David Dastmalchian, Nathan Fillion, Sean Gunn, Steve Agee, and Michael Rooker, plus fellow Marvel creatives like Taika Waititi.
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The movie is written and directed by Gunn. Chuck Roven and Peter Safran will serve as producers. Nik Korda is executive producing the movie.
The Suicide Squad will hit theaters on August 6, 2021.
