FILM · 2016 · USA
Suicide Squad
- Directed by
- David Ayer
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures, RatPac Entertainment, DC Films
30 archived facts 5 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Oct 2026
From DC Comics comes the Suicide Squad, an antihero team of incarcerated supervillains who act as deniable assets for the United States government, undertaking high-risk black ops missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences.
30 Interesting Facts About Suicide Squad
Interesting Facts (20)
- #001
Margot Robbie began training six months before filming. Her training routine included gymnastics, boxing, weapons training, aerial silks, and learning to hold her breath underwater for extended periods.
- #002
- #003
Several scenes of Killer Croc's backstory were cut from the final edit, including scenes depicting him as a social outcast his whole life because of his physical appearance and convincing himself that he was beautiful in his own way. Croc's paths crossed with Batman while he worked as a hired man for numerous crime bosses in Gotham and secretly planned to take over the business one day. There were also scenes showing his interest in sculpting with discarded materials. None of this was kept in the final cut except for jokes about Croc seeing himself as "beautiful." A scene was also deleted in which he fell ill during the helicopter escort to Midway City, vomited half-digested goat parts, then ate them again, disgusting the nearby Navy SEALs.
- #004
- #005
While perfecting the Joker's laugh, Jared Leto tried out different laughs publicly in New York City and Toronto to see which ones unsettled people the most.
- #006
- #007
Harley Quinn's origin is based on the Bruce Timm-Paul Dini one-shot "Mad Love." Quinn is a psychiatrist who develops an obsessive love for the Joker. Her doctor outfit is inspired by the comic, while her criminal outfit is taken from her New 52 portrayal. Her plunge into the same chemicals that created the Joker also comes from the New 52.
- #008
In the film, Harley Quinn uses a red-and-black umbrella, the original color scheme of her costume in Batman: The Animated Series (1992), seen in the backstory where Harley Quinn herself and the Joker dance. She also uses her signature weapon from the "Batman: Arkham" video games, the baseball bat.
- #009
- #010
Jared Leto became so immersed in playing the Joker that he stayed in character on the film set even when he was not shooting. He even sent "Joker-like" gifts to his fellow actors: a live rat to Margot Robbie and bullets to Will Smith, a soiled Playboy magazine to Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and a dead pig, anal beads and used condoms for the whole crew. Scott Eastwood said Leto's behavior sometimes frightened him, and Smith stated that he never actually met the real Leto.
- #011
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- #013
- #014
In a Q&A session on Twitter, David Ayer explained that King Shark was initially going to appear in the film, but that this would only have been possible as a fully CGI character. Killer Croc, who took his place, is portrayed practically with makeup and prosthetics. King Shark, or Nanaue, would appear as a CGI character in the film's successor, The Suicide Squad (2021).
- #015
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- #018
- #019
After taking Harley Quinn's bat, the famous writer and director Kevin Smith gave it to his daughter, Harley Quinn Smith.
- #020
Margot Robbie said the following about playing Harley Quinn: "I think it's scary, because there are so many people I want to please and a character I have to do justice to, but it's a challenge. I'm definitely ready for it and I hope I don't disappoint." She also added, "To me there are always two characters. There is Harleen Quinzel and there is Harley Quinn. There are moments when Harleen takes control, and that's when she can manage it. Be rational, and then Harley takes control, and that's the more erratic side of things."
Production Story (1)
- #021
Warner executives prepared a separate cut with help from the company behind the film's teaser and tested it against Ayer's somber version; Roven said this second cut was not Smith's and came from an unknown editor, while Ayer later confirmed it was a modified version of the studio's cut. After both versions tested nearly the same, the studio ordered reshoots to reach a consensus between them.
Behind the Scenes (7)
- #022
At San Diego Comic-Con International 2016, Margot Robbie stated that although the cast members rehearsed extensively together, she and Jared Leto did not rehearse before shooting their scenes. She and director David Ayer felt this contributed to the unpredictability and madness of Harley Quinn and the Joker.
- #023
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- #028
Characters & Cast (1)
- #029
Jared Leto shaved his eyebrows to play the Joker and make him look more unstable and psychotic. Jay Hernandez, who played El Diablo, also shaved his eyebrows for the role, since the character was designed to have no body hair. For Hernandez, this choice saved him half an hour a day in the makeup chair.
Easter Eggs & References (1)
- #030
Jared Leto chose not to rewatch Heath Ledger's performance in The Dark Knight (2008) because he felt he needed to create his own version of the character. He did not want to copy or remove any material from previous film versions. Instead, he focused more on the comic book versions of the iconic villain.
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Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
Sources for the entries on this page
- Wikipedia Suicide Squad (2016 film) — Wikipedia
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work