Los Angeles (AFP)

When James Gunn was offered the job of directing the next DC Comics superhero film, he didn't turn to an icon like Superman or Wonder Woman.

He chose the scruffy and much less renowned group of villains known as "The Suicide Squad".

In the credits of this sort of sequel to "Suicide Squad" (2016) - where the gang of criminals embarked on dangerous missions on behalf of the American government, in order to reduce their prison terms - there are familiar names. , like the character of Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie.

Other newcomers are complete strangers, like the astonishing Polka Dot Man ("the polka dot man", in French).

“I literally searched on Google: + Who is the dumbest super villain of all time? + And Polka Dot Man was always in the top results,” explained James Gunn.

"Being able to take a character like that and give it thickness was a lot of fun for me," the director told a virtual press conference ahead of the film's release, scheduled for Friday in the United States.

At first glance, the way he chose his group of thugs seemed unlikely to give Warner Bros. executives any confidence.

Even David Dastmalchian, the actor who embodies him and avid fan of comics, American comics, initially had "no idea who Polka Dot Man was".

But if the success of the first film is to be believed, digging deep into the comic book world to look for lesser-known characters is a risk that can pay off.

Despite the bad reviews, "Suicide Squad" had grossed over $ 750 million at the global box office.

Like him, "The Suicide Squad" relies on a five-star cast - Will Smith and Jared Leto are no longer there but have been replaced by John Cena, Idris Elba or Sylvester Stallone, who lends his voice to a mid-creature. -man half-shark.

According to Idris Elba, playing Bloodsport, "a character with a less well-defined personality," gave him more freedom.

The idea was, "Let's find an obscure character that we can build as our own cinematic creation for Idris," confirmed James Gunn.

- "Take risks" -

The film offers a clever mix between risk taking and the quest for redemption, which is reminiscent of the career of its director.

James Gunn, cult director and script writer for Zack Snyder's "Army of the Dead" (2004), made a noticeable foray into popular culture in the 2010s, with the hit films "Guardians of the Galaxy", from Marvel.

But in 2018, he was abruptly fired by Disney, owner of the studios, when old tweets in which he joked about AIDS, rape or the Holocaust resurfaced.

Warner jumped at the chance, entrusting the director with his rival DC superhero films.

After apologizing and having received the support of a large number of Hollywood figures, such as Chris Pratt, James Gunn has once again put his bags down at Marvel, for whom he must direct "The Guardians of the Galaxy 3 ", scheduled for 2023.

"You don't expect people to support you ... It was a wake-up call for me," he recently told The New York Times.

"When Warner Bros. comes to you the following Monday and says, + We want you, James Gunn +, you say to yourself, wow, that feels good to hear."

Describing "The Suicide Squad" as a war film in "Les Douze Salopards" (1967) sprinkled with a good dose of black comic book humor, the director said he "felt a responsibility to take risks" and avoid using "the same old boring three-act structure".

As proof, the big bad of the film is a gigantic pink starfish.

"Looks like the big movies are the ones people go to see in theaters" as the pandemic restrictions have been eased, he added.

"If (these movies) don't keep taking risks and trying new things, then people won't want to go to theaters anymore."

© 2021 AFP