Suicide Squad (2016) is a superhero film adapted from DC Comics, directed by David Ayer and starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie. The film is part of the DCEU and was released by Warner Bros.. Runtime: 2h 3m. Rated PG-13. Audience rating: 5.9/10.
What is Suicide Squad (2016) about?
A secret government agency assembles a team of dangerous, imprisoned supervillains to execute black ops missions in exchange for clemency — with explosive implants as insurance.
Released in 2016, Suicide Squad was directed by David Ayer and produced under the Warner Bros. banner. The film occupies a significant place within the DCEU — contributing to the ongoing narrative and mythology of that cinematic universe.
The film features lead performances from Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, among others, anchoring a story that adapts characters first brought to life in DC Comics. Its source material gives the film a foundation rooted in decades of published storytelling, which Ayer and the creative team interpret through a cinematic lens.
The film's 5.9 audience rating indicates a mixed response. Even so, it holds interest as part of the broader DCEU catalogue and for how it fits into the lineage of DC Comics-based cinema.
What happens in Suicide Squad (2016)? — Full Plot
We open with Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) at a Washington dinner. Following Superman's death in Batman v Superman (2016), she pitches the U.S. government on a contingency plan: a team of imprisoned supervillains who can be deployed for high-risk missions, with detonating implants in their necks ensuring compliance. The Pentagon approves it. Waller assembles Task Force X — Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang, El Diablo, Killer Croc, Slipknot, Katana, and Enchantress (a 6,000-year-old witch possessing archaeologist June Moone).
The team is briefed by Colonel Rick Flag, who is in love with June Moone — and therefore conflicted about Enchantress, who has been controlling June for months. Flag holds Enchantress's literal physical heart (a magical relic) in a safe at his office. As long as he holds it, Enchantress is bound to obey. The Joker (Jared Leto), meanwhile, has been hunting Harley Quinn for months — trying to break her out of Belle Reve Prison.
Enchantress turns on Waller. She summons her ancient brother Incubus from his archaeological prison. The two of them activate a massive sky-portal device above Midway City, intending to subjugate humanity. Task Force X is deployed to neutralize the threat. Enchantress mind-controls Midway City's police force into mindless henchmen.
The team's mission is, in theory, to extract a high-value asset from the Midway City Federal Building. The asset turns out to be Waller herself — who has been overseeing the operation in person. The team works through Enchantress's henchmen across the city. Various characters have flashback sequences establishing why they're villains. Deadshot's redemption arc revolves around his daughter. El Diablo's revolves around the fire-deaths of his wife and children.
The Joker arrives — having tracked Harley through her embedded SHIELD chip — and breaks her out via a helicopter mission. The squad shoots down the helicopter, presuming Harley dead. (She survives.) The remaining squad continues toward Enchantress's portal. The climax is in the central Midway City plaza. Enchantress and Incubus are defeated through a combination of ritual magic and El Diablo's self-sacrifice (Diablo dies destroying Incubus's mortal form). Enchantress's heart is destroyed. June Moone is freed.
The Joker returns to break Harley out of Belle Reve in the post-credits sequence. The remaining squad members are sent back to prison with reduced sentences. Waller's plan has worked — barely. The team has performed but the casualty count is high. The film closes with Waller still in command, her authority restored.
Suicide Squad (2016) grossed $746 million globally on a $175 million budget — commercially successful despite mixed reviews. Critics widely cited the editing as the film's primary flaw. Director David Ayer publicly disputed the studio cut and has spent years advocating for an 'Ayer cut.' James Gunn's The Suicide Squad (2021) retconned the franchise's tone entirely.
Who stars in Suicide Squad (2016)?
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What are some facts about Suicide Squad (2016)?
Suicide Squad released in 2016, placing it within the 2010s era of comic book cinema — a decade that saw superhero films become the dominant force at the global box office.
Directed by David Ayer, the film was produced by Warner Bros. and adapts source material from DC Comics.
The principal cast features Will Smith and Margot Robbie, with key supporting roles played by Jared Leto, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman.
The film belongs to DCEU — the DC Extended Universe, Warner Bros' connected superhero continuity.
Suicide Squad carries an audience rating of 5.9 — a mixed reception that highlights the divisive nature of superhero film adaptations.
The DC Comics source material for Suicide Squad has been in continuous publication for decades, giving filmmakers a rich well of storylines, character arcs, and iconography to draw upon.
Modern superhero films like this one use a mix of practical effects and digital VFX, with entire sequences often shot against volume walls or LED stages pioneered by shows like The Mandalorian.
Suicide Squad is catalogued on Movies on Comics among our collection of 162 comic book films spanning 48 years of cinema — from Richard Donner's 1978 Superman to the present day.
