James Gunn just keeps adding some impressive names to his upcoming Suicide Squad movie. Deadline reports that the former Doctor himself, Peter Capaldi is joining the cast. Much like other casting announcements regarding this movie, his role is being kept under wraps for now. Still...the second I saw this casting, one character popped into my head and I'm running with it.
Let's be honest, we know next to nothing about what this new Suicide Squad movie will be about. Gunn himself says this isn't Suicide Squad 2, so we don't even know about the title. Sure we know some casting information, like who is returning and who some of the new characters will be, but the plot is largely a mystery. There is no title villain, but it got me thinking about the last movie. They did got a bit into the mystical realm by bringing out Enchantress. What if this new casting does something similar?
To me, Peter Capaldi is an excellent candidate to play The Phantom Stranger. While this character wouldn't be joining the squad, or any other team for that matter, he could play a role in where the story would go somehow. The Phantom Stranger has assisted the Justice League and other factions in the past, why couldn't he find a way to fit into this movie as well?
The Phantom Stranger is also a character with quite a wide open origin story, so it would be easy to weave him in to almost any story quite easily. The character recently appears in the live action Swamp Thing series on DC Universe, and will also be receiving his own animated short as part of the new DC Showcase initiative in their animated movie universe. So, obviously, the folks at DC and Warner Bros have The Stranger on the brain. An actor like Capaldi has the look and the range to really give this underrated character justice on screen.
Maybe I'm just a homer for this character, as I have always been a fan, but this is something that could really make sense. There is no word on how large of a role Capaldi will play in the movie, even SNL's Pete Davidson is rumored for a small cameo. Whether he plays The Phantom Stranger or not, Capaldi is still an Oscar winning actor who really adds a lot to this cast.
James Gunn's Suicide Squad will be in theaters in 2021.
(Photo Credit: Simon Ridgway/BBC America)
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