Both have iconic heroes and villains. They’ve brought on board some of the most talented artists and unique voices. The comic book companies have also tried to carve out their own place in TV and movies.
Unfortunately, each has also had disastrous movie adaptations and box office failures that live on in pop culture history. One of the most memorable DC box-office failures only occurred because of the critically panned film Suicide Squad. Luckily, an upcoming superhero-esque fantasy book adaptation is swooping in to make up for the failure and deliver the successful movie audiences deserve.
The Suicide Squad (2021) Was A Box Office Flop For DC Studios
The Suicide Squad began in 1965 with Brave and the Bold #25, and the team has been reimagined many times. They’re one of the more successful comic book team-ups because they center on the anti-heroes and supervillains instead of the heroes. Plus, the members of the team also go on the most ridiculous and deadly missions, hence the name.
Given the team’s popularity and the New 52’s version of Suicide Squad coming out in 2016, it seemed like a logical choice to adapt the team for the big screen. The hope for a successful movie increased when they announced the Suicide Squad cast, which was packed with big names whose name recognition could draw audiences. With actors like John Cena and Margot Robbie, it’s, by far, the most stacked cast in the DCEU.
Unfortunately, despite the many reasons it should have succeeded, Suicide Squad absolutely flopped. The movie couldn’t seem to decide whether it wanted to be serious or comedic, which came from the numerous editors and reshoots (via The Hollywood Reporter).
The cinematography is extremely distracting, with choppy cuts. Enchantress was a pretty weak villain, so the stakes didn’t feel compelling. The story wasn’t well-written, with so many plot holes that it’s infuriating. It’s, by far, the worst DCEU movie.
Given the negative reviews, the Suicide Squad film franchise should have ended there. However, that didn’t prevent the DC Studios from continuing to make spin-offs using the same actors and characters. In 2021, they put out the sequel The Suicide Squad (the capitalization matters here). The movie received much better reviews. The story was entertaining, and the characters were as boisterous as ever. However, it was less successful at the box office.
The movie only grossed $168,717,425 worldwide against a $185,000,000 (via Box Office Mojo). Part of this can be chalked up to COVID-19 restrictions still being in place. It could also be related to viewers’ lack of confidence after the 2016 Suicide Squad film. Luckily, an upcoming movie can make up for DC Studios’ box office flop by offering viewers a spiritual successor.
The Devils Is Described As The Suicide Squad Meets Fantasy
After its 2025 release, The Devils became an instant bestseller. James Cameron bought the rights to the grimdark book, and he’ll be writing the script alongside the book author. It will be the perfect follow-up to The Suicide Squad.
If I had to describe both Suicide Squad movies, I would say they’re violent, comedic, and chaotic. All three of those words can also describe The Devils, a book critics and reviewers have described as Suicide Squad set in a fantasy world.
The Devils is set in a medieval-inspired Europe. In this alternate world, the Catholic Church is led by women, a young girl pope, and many magical creatures. The Crusades still occurred, except the targets were the elves. With the Church divided between East and West, power is in flux.
The tyrannical empress and sorceress Eudoxia dies, leaving the Serpent Throne in the East empty. The Church discovers that a con artist and street thief named Alex is the rightful princess and heir to the throne. However, they have to get her there safely.
The Devils follows a group of anti-heroes and villain monsters, previously thrown in jail, who get the chance at freedom if they complete a job for the Church. They must escort Alex to Troy safely, but it won’t be so easy, especially with the conflicting personalities of the team.
The Devils’ Characters Are Just As Eccentric As The DC Characters
One of the factors that makes The Suicide Squad interesting is that the characters are eccentric, with contrasting personalities that make the group dynamics unpredictable. I’ve always thought of them as the DC version of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. They bounce off each other and try to get under each other’s skin.
Whether it be the comic iterations or the onscreen versions, The Suicide Squad is usually a good time, no matter the quality of the story. Luckily, The Devils has just as entertaining, unique characters, and their group dynamics are like a hilarious and unhinged D&D campaign.
These are the ragtag group of characters in The Devils:
- Brother Diaz, a monk and the reluctant leader of “The Devils”
- Baron Rikard, a charming vampire who loves chaos
- Vigga, a lusty and savage Swedish werewolf
- Baptiste, a jack-of-all-trades with the wildest stories
- Sunny, an elf who can turn invisible
- Balthazar, a self-absorbed necromancer with a bad attitude
- Jakob of Thorn, a cursed and immortal knight
- Alex, a thief and con artist who’s also the princess heir to the throne of Troy
The ensemble of The Devils is absolutely bonkers, and each has their own distinct voice and personality. They’re all relatable yet off-the-rails. The dialogue includes great repartee, with lots of characters taking digs at each other. What’s more, as ScreenRant’s review of The Devils points out, the Devils are easy to root for. Fans of The Suicide Squad are bound to love them.
The Devils Has Even More Unhinged Story Elements Than The Suicide Squad
The 2021 movie The Suicide Squad centers on the team that goes to the island of Corto Maltese to destroy a laboratory with a secret experiment. The story throws in the dictator’s attempt to marry Harley Quinn and a giant starfish alien, the most interesting and unhinged part of the story.
Even with Starro the Conqueror making little starfish soldiers, The Devils is just as unhinged. The adventure to the Serpent Throne is ordered by a 10-year-old Pope, who’s the second coming. The team has to go up against bloodthirsty elves who want to devour human flesh, and they do hilariously over-the-top things to beat others.
The most absolutely unhinged story elements take place at the end of the book, so I’ll refrain from sharing them. Needless to say, The Devils will give audiences everything that DC lovers hoped for from The Suicide Squad.