Was Deadshot deceived by the government? New comic hints at a surprise twist of fate for 'Suicide Squad 2'
Spoilers for 'Suicide Squad' #7
The premise of the Suicide Squad is a simple one: criminals who would ordinarily be locked behind bars for the rest of their natural (or in some cases, unnatural) lives would be allowed early release in exchange for helping the Government with certain less-than-legal operations. The Suicide Squad members might not have a choice in the matter, given that there's a bomb implanted in their heads should they step out of line, but at least they could comfort themselves in knowing that their missions would one day see them free and clear.
'Suicide Squad' #7, written by Tom Taylor, penciled by Daniel Sapere, inked by Juan Albarran, colored by Adriano Lucas and lettered by Wes Abbott, reveals that this premise is a complete lie - at least as far as Deadshot is concerned. One of the longest-running members of the Squad, it was recently revealed that Deadshot had received a full pardon and that he had been free to leave prison for several months. The Government had withheld this information from him in order to keep using him on missions, but when Deadshot found out the truth, the first thing he did is go home to try and reconcile with his family and start a new life.
Once he was home, however, it was not long before he saw his name on television, marked as a wanted criminal. The Government had marked Deadshot as a criminal once again for associating with the other members of the Suicide Squad, who had escaped prison illegally. It wasn't long before federal agents showed up on his lawn, attempting to take him in. Though Deadshot initially surrendered peacefully, the interference of his daughter and the return of the Suicide Squad took out the agents in short order. Deadshot realized that the Government would never let him go, at least, not until he killed the Suicide Squad.
It's unclear what he means by this, but it's implied that he is going to find a way to take out the program entirely. This might be a plot point incorporated into the second 'Suicide Squad' film. Will Smith's Floyd Lawton is arguably the most sympathetic character in the film, who, like his comic-book counterpart, spends all of his ill-gotten gains on his wife and daughter. Seeing him pardoned, only to have that pardon immediately revoked under false pretenses, sets Deadshot up against the Suicide Squad itself. Given the sheer number of villains who will be appearing in the second film, this plotline might just see criminals warring against criminals to set themselves free before the bombs in their heads go off.
Given how little we know of the film, and how much the pandemic has delayed its production, this storyline might not be too difficult to implement into the film - or set up a potential 'Suicide Squad 3'. Whether it is or not, one thing's for sure: Deadshot, be it in comics or films, has a long way to go before he's done with the Suicide Squad for good.
'Suicide Squad' #7 is now available wherever comics are sold.