Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguehas struggled to capture the excitement Rocksteady had originally hoped for. However, this hasn’t stopped new characters from coming into the fold. As one of the first major releases of 2024,Suicide Squadhasn’t been able to properly capitalize on the success of iconic DC characters. From the controversy surrounding the handling of Batman’s fate to the portrayal of The Joker, the game has faced a bumpy post-launch ride.
The first major villain to be added after launch was the iconic Joker. This inclusion proved to be divisive, as much criticism about the Clown Prince of Crime revolved around his lack of interaction with other characters, like Harley, and the grind required to be rewarded the villain. There has been a similar division brought about bythe inclusion of Mrs. Freeze. Although the character’s traversal is fun, she has failed to bring an uptick in players. IfSuicide Squadwants to be successful at upping its player base, then looking to a strange character from James Gunn’s 2021 adaptation may do the trick. Although Polka-Dot Man wasn’t well-known before the movie, his presence was a big hit among viewers.
A Strange and Underrated Character
In the comics, Polka-Dot Man uses various dots on his suit as deadly projectiles. Although that is goofy enough, James Gunn’s film takes the character’s powers even further. In the movie, the dots in question are actuallya strange disease that covers Polka-Dot Man’s skin, subjecting the character to an uncomfortable life. When it comes to the long list of forgotten villains in the DC canon, Polka-Dot Man seems like one of the most difficult to properly adapt into a live-action version. Somehow, Gunn managed to pull it off. Thanks to the quirky, and occasionally creepy, portrayal of the character by David Dastmalchian, Polka-Dot Man was a standout role inThe Suicide Squad.
The surprising success of such an odd character could be the kick thatSuicide Squadneeds in order to get players excited again. IfSuicide Squadwants to reignite interest, then taking note of successful versions of the villain-led team would be a wise move. Now thatSuicide Squadhas confirmed thatthe dead Justice League members were clones all along, it seems as though Rocksteady has plans to continue the game’s story with the non-clone heroes.
Polka-Dot Man first appeared inDetective Comics#300 in 1962.
Unfortunately, it may be too late forSuicide Squadto recover interest. The twist that Justice League members are alive and well is at least promising, but the troubled launch of the game may be hard to come back from. Reports that Rocksteady could be working on a new single-player game have manyhoping for a newArkhamchapter. Now that Batman is seemingly alive, that is highly possible. However, until then,Suicide Squadhas to build momentum for any potential new entry, especially if they are going to be connected.
A character like Polka-Dot Man could potentially be one of the most fun post-launch characters to enter the game. His strange powers give developers the chance to experiment with the character’s abilities. Although he was beloved in the 2021 movie, Polka-Dot Man is still not nearlyas well-known as The Jokeror a Mr. Freeze adaptation. The two latter characters have plenty of expectations built around them, and that can be hard to meet. Polka-Dot Man, on the other hand, is incredibly low risk.
Seeing how Rocksteady approaches a character who is practically a blank slate might bring something special and unexpected to the game. Although it is uncertainwhere Rocksteady will take its DC franchise next, there will hopefully be room for underrated characters.
