Suicide Squad: War Dogs

***Suicide Squad: War Dogs*** is a 2022 American superhero film based on the DC Comics team Suicide Squad. Produced by DC Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a sequel to *Suicide Squad: Vengeance* (2018) and the 38th film in the DC Cinematic Universe (DCCU). It was written and directed by James Gunn and stars an ensemble cast including Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jenna Dewan, Joel Kinnaman, Eiza Gonzalez, Krysten Ritter, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Freddie Stroma, Viola Davis, and Dwayne Johnson. In the film, Amanda Waller, having regained power, enlists the Suicide Squad to infiltrate the nation of Kahndaq, which leads to the discovery of a resurrected Black Adam.

James Gunn announced plans for a third *Suicide Squad* film in 2017, and was confirmed to return in July 2019. Dwayne Johnson was revealed to be reprising his role from *Shazam vs. Black Adam* in August 2020, along with the announcement of other cast members. Filming took place from May to September 2021, primarily at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

*Suicide Squad: War Dogs* was released in the United States on August 5, 2022, as part of Phase Four of the DCCU. The film grossed over $731 million worldwide, becoming the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2022. Unlike the previous installments, *Suicide Squad: War Dogs* received generally mixed reviews from critics, who praised the action sequences and visual effects, but were polarized over the plot and pacing, and criticized the film for being overstuffed, deeming it inferior to its two predecessors. A follow-up, *Justice League vs. the Suicide Squad*, will be released on May 12, 2023.

## Cast

* Will Smith as Floyd Lawton/Deadshot
* Margot Robbie as Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn
* Jenna Dewan as Lucy Lane/Superwoman
* Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag
* Eiza Gonzalez as June Moone/Enchantress
* Krysten Ritter as Louise Lincoln/Killer Frost
* Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Rex/Mad Dog
* Freddie Stroma as Adrian Chase/Vigilante
* Viola Davis as Amanda Waller
* Dwayne Johnson as Teth-Adam/Black Adam

## Reception

### **Box office**

As of December 7, 2022, *Suicide Squad: War Dogs* has grossed $315.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $416.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $731.9 million.

In the United States and Canada, *Suicide Squad: War Dogs* was released alongside *Bullet Train* and *Easter Sunday*, and was projected to gross $60-80 million from 4,357 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $32.8 million on its first day and went on to debut to $86.4 million, topping the box office. The film remained in first place through its fifth weekend, making $40.4 million in its second and $24.1 million in its third.

### **Critical reception**

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, *Suicide Squad: War Dogs* holds a 63% approval rating based on 461 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Though there is more humor and plotlines, and the action sequences still dazzle, *Suicide Squad: War Dogs nonetheless isn't quite as refined as the first two." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100 based on 40 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.*