Disney may have inherited Free Guy from 20th Century Fox, but something tells us they must be feeling mighty happy about that right now. The movie, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer, actually ended up far exceeding expectations with $28.4 million at the North American box office this weekend. Overseas, it added $22.5 million for a $51 million global debut.
As noted, Reynolds has said Disney wants a sequel, and it's pretty easy to see why!
Initially, even the studio thought a $20 million opening might be a tad optimistic, and while $28.4 million might sound low, it's fair to say that given the current climate, this movie is a hit.
Unfortunately, the same can't exactly be said for The Suicide Squad. After a dismal $7.8 million second weekend (where it placed #5 in the charts), Task Force X's big screen return has now limped past $100 million worldwide. A $17 million haul from international markets helped take it to $118 million in total. Even taking HBO Max and COVID into consideration, this one has underperformed.
Needless to say, given those far from record-breaking streaming numbers (Mortal Kombat drew a bigger audience), Warner Bros. might have jumped a gun ordering the small screen Peacemaker spinoff. There could still be hope for the franchise, but it oddly feels like the buzz surrounding The Suicide Squad has already died down despite it being just 10 days since it was first released.
We'll keep you updated as the numbers continue rolling in.
Click on the "Next" button below to find out how
The Suicide Squad teases Task Force X's future!
5. A Very Different Task Force X
By the time the movie ends, Amanda Waller has been forced to free Bloodsport, Ratcatcher 2, Harley Quinn, and King Shark, while the rest of the villains she sent to Corto Maltese are now dead.
We know there are other baddies in Belle Reve (like, uh, Calendar Man), but Waller may well find herself without any legit heavy-hitters now. That's not a bad thing, though, because from a non-storyline perspective, it gives Warner Bros. the freedom to pick pretty much anyone they want from the DC Universe in a possible threequel.
The death of Rick Flag is also going to change the team's dynamic. Without him, who will lead these villains into battle and keep them in check?
Well, we're pretty sure Deadshot would be a good fit to follow in Flag's footsteps...
4. Weasel Trouble In Corto Maltese?
Starro the Conqueror has been defeated, and Corto Maltese is now a county no longer ruled by a dictator. As a result, things are looking up, but Weasel's survival might be bad news for those who survived that alien's attack (especially as the mindless creature previously killed 23 children).
We're not expecting this to be addressed in a meaningful way, but a Task Force X member being let loose on the island is likely to make headlines, especially if he winds up with more blood on his hands.
This would make for a great Easter Egg in Peacemaker, even if it's just mentioned on television or the front of a newspaper in the background. This post-credits scene was clearly thrown in just for laughs, but it would be pretty awesome to see Amanda Waller embarrassed in some way by this.
Heck, perhaps one of Peacemaker's earliest jobs could be taking Weasel out?!
3. Harley Quinn Is Free Again
The Suicide Squad didn't really reference the events of Birds of Prey in a meaningful way, and only a throwaway line shed some light on how Harley Quinn ended up back behind bars.
A bank robbery certainly isn't out of character, but it is a little disappointing given the way things ended with her and young Cassandra Cain in the 2020 movie. Now, though, Harley is once again free to do what she pleases, and our hope is that it leads to a long-overdue team-up with Poison Ivy.
Given the poor commercial performance of this movie (caused by a number of factors including an unclear marketing campaign and COVID-19), there's some doubt about how much of a draw Margot Robbie's Harley actually is. Despite that, we loved her in this movie, and she deserves another shot.
Gotham City Sirens honestly feels like the best possible direction, especially if Catwoman is thrown into the mix. If she's off-limits, then Leslie Grace's Batgirl would be a pretty great substitute.
2. Bloodsport, The Anti-Hero?
Despite some surface-level similarities to Deadshot, Idris Elba's Bloodsport is a great character in his own right. He goes through a lot in The Suicide Squad, and after saving Corto Maltese, we'd be on board with a redemption art for Robert DuBois. The question is, where would that play out?
An argument could definitely be made that Bloodsport would be a fitting replacement for Rick Flag as Task Force X's leader, but there's no way he's willingly going on more suicide missions for Amanda Waller (he also has what boils down to a get out of jail free card with the drive he managed to acquire).
Unfortunately, that makes us wonder if DuBois' story has perhaps reached its end.
With James Gunn teasing the possibility of more spinoffs, however, an HBO Max series has to be a possibility, and assuming it happens, pairing Bloodsport up with Ratcatcher 2 is a must.
1. Peacemaker Lives!
The Suicide Squad's second post-credits scene is definitely more meaningful than the first, and reveals that John Cena's Peacemaker managed to survive being gunned down by Bloodsport.
Now, he's needed for a mission to help "save the f***ing world," and Gunn has teased a big sci-fi element to the story he plans to tell in this eight-part HBO Max series. There's no word on the show's antagonist, but seeing as we never expected to see Starro in live-action, we expect to be surprised!
We know the plan is to explore some of Peacemaker's past, but delving into what he went through as a member of Task Force X is a must. Peacemaker surely feels some guilt after killing Rick Flag, while we're guessing that being bested by Bloodsport has done nothing to help that ego of his.
Whatever the case may be, we cannot wait to see this story play out next January!