Movies

‘Suicide Squad’ might just save comic book movies

It’s looking like anything but Suicide.

After a summer of yawn-inducing sequels and universe-expanding films nobody wanted, the surprise hit of the summer may well arrive in theaters next Friday — in August, no less, the month where blockbuster misfires typically go to die.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

“Suicide Squad” is the superhero movie that forgot the heroes. It features a group of villains (including Jared Leto’s Joker, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Will Smith’s Deadshot) who are recruited to undertake covert missions in exchange for their freedom. It’s directed by David Ayer and is based on a DC comic book that few beyond hard-core fanboys even know exist.

When the film was officially announced some two years ago as part of a spandex-heavy Warner Bros. slate filled with more familiar (and licensing-friendly) characters, it felt like something of an afterthought, a trifling sorbet cleanser to the massive dinner that was to be March’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

Except that much-hyped superhero team-up, directed by Zack Snyder, turned off critics and audiences alike and underperformed at the box office. The dismal reception was especially tragic, because “Batman v Superman” was intended as yet another launching pad for a DC cinematic universe. Even if it wasn’t going to put DC on the same level as rival Marvel, it was meant to be the movie that at least got them into the race.

Snyder is still making next year’s sequel, “Justice League,” but now, all of a sudden, the pressure is on “Suicide Squad.” Could this finally be the DC universe-building film that audiences actually like?

Judging by the swooning reaction to the trailers and the footage screened at last week’s San Diego Comic-Con, it looks that way.

“Suicide Squad” is reportedly on track to earn some $125 million during its opening weekend. Not bad when you consider that “Batman v Superman,” which starred two characters who would be recognized by remote tribesmen in the Amazon, bowed to $166 million.

One major difference between the DC and Marvel cinematic universes: Marvel is more of a top-down place, where the filmmakers work within a pre-established house style, whereas DC is more open to different interpretations of its characters and world.

In other words, Ayer’s vision for DC might not be the same as Snyder’s. (Hera willing, it’s not.) If “Suicide Squad” is a hit, who’s to say its aesthetic and sensibility won’t take precedence moving forward, forcing future DC films to conform to that template?

Here’s hoping it’s good enough to do so, because the alternatives aren’t exactly super.