Michael Rooker May Play King Shark in The Suicide Squad
Because Yondu got a grand sendoff in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Michael Rooker isn’t likely to be back for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. But that’s not going to stop him from joining another cinematic universe. Via The Wrap, Rooker is negotiations to join the cast of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.
According to the report, Rooker is being lined up to play King Shark. As originally conceived by Superboy writer Karl Kesel in 1994, King Shark (a.k.a. Nanaue) was the son of the Shark God. During the New 52 reboot, King Shark was re-imagined as a humanoid hammerhead shark and forced to join the Suicide Squad. More recently, King Shark has been a recurring villain on The Flash live-action series.
Rooker is best known for playing Yondu in the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films, and Merle Dixon on The Walking Dead. He’s also appeared in several movies produced or directed by Gunn, including Super, The Belco Experiment, and the upcoming Brightburn.
Jai Courtney and Viola Davis will return in The Suicide Squad as Captain Boomerang and Amanda Waller, respectively. Margot Robbie is also rumored to reprise her role as Harley Quinn, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet. Will Smith will not be back as Deadshot, however the role will not be recast. Instead, Idris Elba will take on a new character in the leading role. David Dastmalchian is playing Polka-Dot Man while Daniela Melchior will portray Ratcatcher. WWE Superstar John Cena is also rumored to have a role in the film.
The Suicide Squad will hit theaters on August 6, 2021.
Are you excited to see Michael Rooker take on another comic book role? Let us know in the comment section below!