James Gunn's The Suicide Squad Finds Its King Shark

Cue the Jaws theme.

As fans of both Marvel and DC already know, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is hard at work on Warner Bros. reboot-sequel-revamp The Suicide Squad, and he's bringing a familiar face along for the ride. Comedy writer and actor Steve Agee — who appeared in Gunn's 2017 picture Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 as well as 2019 superhero horror film Brightburn – has officially been brought onto The Suicide Squad as popular DC villain King Shark. 

According to Deadline, Agee will provide the voiceover for the character, who will surely be brought to life by digital artists through computer-generated imagery.

King Shark — whose real name is Nanuae — is the son of "The King of All Sharks." He made his first appearance in 1994's Superboy Vol. 4 #0, and has since become a fan-favorite character in DC Comics. A larger-than-life brute who has gone toe-to-toe with Superman, Aquaman, and the Flash, King Shark has been a member of the Suicide Squad, Secret Six, and Secret Society of Super Villains in the 25 years since his initial creation. 

In an unsurprising move given the tone of the two Guardians movies, Gunn seems to be taking a more comedic approach with casting Agee as King Shark, seeing as the actor is known for his bizarre characters like Outside Dave on New Girl and the klutzy Issac on Superstore. 

With Warner Bros. looking to take its superhero films in a different direction following the disappointing Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and the shocking worldwide success of the lighthearted Aquaman, The Suicide Squad follows an original story by Gunn while also picking up where the 2016 film Suicide Squad ended. The first Suicide Squad film has taken on a bit of a dwindling reputation in the years since its release, and while that film suffered negative reviews at the time, it was also a massive box office hit. A lot is riding on Gunn's Suicide Squad to turn the property into the light. 

What might help is the fact that there are some major players returning to the franchise, with Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flag), Viola Davis (Amanda Waller), and Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang) all scheduled to come back for the sequel. Of course, Gunn isn't holding back when it comes to new additions either: David Dastmalchian (Polka-Dot Man), Daniela Melchior (Ratcatcher), and Idris Elba (whose role is yet-to-be-revealed) are all joining the fray.

The Suicide Squad is set to release in theaters on August 6, 2021.