Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Needs to Abandon the Guardians of the Galaxy Formula

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is set to launch in February 2024 after a year-long delay dealt a blow to people excited for the project. In that time, hesitation has crept in to accompany the excitement, but the trailers have shown a lot of potential, and Rocksteady may have been wise to stay within the DC bubble after its success with the sublime Arkham series. Task Force X is an entirely different situation, however, as the story now has to account for multiple protagonists.

These main characters are as diverse as they are unpredictable. They each have their own abilities as well as character quirks, and seeing them work together, be it in the films or the pages of comics, is an interesting plot device in and of itself. Their charm and charisma can draw parallels to the Guardians of the Galaxy, but while they are fundamentally good people who get into mischief largely by accident, Harley Quinn and company are firmly on the other side of the moral spectrum. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League should lean into their villainy, if anything to create separation and help it to be a unique experience.

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The Guardians of the Galaxy are Represented in Gaming

Though it remains one of the most underrated games of the generation, Eidos-Montreal’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a faithful take on the misfit group, and one that effortlessly captures its rag-tag charm. It shows that each character — be it Drax, Gamora, Starlord, Groot, or Rocket — is inherently good, even though their flaws are easy to see. Peter Quill is ditsy, Rocket is opportunistic, and Drax’ anger constantly gets in the way of his ability to perform basic tasks. Though Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is taking a different approach to its core game design, the characters run the risk of being similarly placed.

Task Force X is deliberately made up of less-than-desirable people, as their evil deeds have landed them under the supervision of Amanda Waller. However, while they are bad people, they can be lovable thanks to characters like King Shark and Harley Quinn who can easily be used as a comic relief. This makes them easy to root for, and over time audiences may start to see them as the heroes, putting them on a pedestal which can wipe away their villainous traits that have a lot of narrative potential.

It seems like a waste to have a band of bad guys assume the conventional role of the heroes when each has interesting nuances that make them compelling antagonists. The contrast will especially be evident as they seem to be fighting the Justice League in the aptly-titled Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, so having them exhibit more of their evil elements could massively elevate the story. Seeing them reluctant to carry out deeds for the greater good, or even try and conjure plans to thwart Waller’s intentions entirely could keep players on their toes as to what happens next.

A character like Harley Quinn was forged through Joker’s psychological abuse, and Captain Boomerang was refined by a childhood of poverty and distress, so leaning on those elements to draw out their darker side could help make the group feel different to the Guardians of the Galaxy, whose origins usually fuel their need to be good. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has a tremendous amount of pressure to handle, and perhaps the worst outcome would be to feel like something players have experienced before. Letting their evil side shine could be the important distinction between it and the Marvel group, as well as other superhero-centric games.