The Suicide Squad never really got the chance to shine in CW's "Arrow," but it did manage to accomplish what DC President, Geoff Johns, wanted - to introduce the team to viewers who didn't read the comics. Their appearance in the TV series actually paved the way for their big theatrical debut in the big screen.
The Suicide Squad was introduced during the second half of "Arrow" Season 2. Back then, it seemed like the producers were prepping for the team to make a recurring presence, but it turns out their inclusion had an even bigger purpose.
"Arrow" executive producer Greg Berlanti said that Johns had requested him to include the Suicide Squad to the show. He mentioned via Vulture that "They (Johns and team) said to us a year and a half before they started developing Suicide Squad, 'Will you guys put [a version of] the Suicide Squad in your show? Because we want to have it as a film at some point'."
Berlanti granted that request by aptly naming episode 16 of "Arrow" Season 2, "Suicide Squad," where the team, under the leadership of Amanda Waller, were first introduced. Seven months later, DC announced that "Suicide Squad" was hitting the big screen, just about the same time when the show slowly killed off some of the characters. A lot of DC fans, and fans of the TV show itself, got disappointed but the producers now explain why they had to come up with that decision.
Now that the producers have seen how the Suicide Squad was a viable commodity in "Arrow," they had to wipe out the characters in the TV version, in order to give way for the new actors during its big screen iteration. And, as what Collider said, the move was necessary to eliminate any possible confusion.
So in reality, Johns' just wanted to test the waters so he and the team would know if a movie centering on anti-heroes could cater to their fans liking. And despite the many poor reviews that "Suicide Squad" has garnered since its debut in the big screen, the movie has proven their critics wrong by being a blockbuster hit.
So what do you think about how "Suicide Squad" turned out? Share your thoughts on the comment box below.
