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The Suicide Squad suffers several casualties throughout the film, but one death in James Gunn’s original ending would’ve been too cruel.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Suicide Squad, now in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.
When a film is called The Suicide Squad, audiences should anticipate a certain amount of character death to happen over the course of the story, and the new DC Extended Universe film delivers exactly that. Prior to even the title card, nearly an entire team is slaughtered onscreen and the death doesn’t stop there. In the final climactic battle, Polka Dot Man embraces his potential as a superhero before being killed by Starro the Conqueror. While Polka Dot Man’s death is actually quite sad, director James Gunn originally planned for a different member of Task Force X to die in his place. Initially, Ratcatcher 2 was slated to die in the climax, but Gunn decided that fate was too dark and thankfully opted to go in a different direction.
Ratcatcher 2 is the emotional core of The Suicide Squad and watching her die would have been quite devastating. Her connection to her teammates is ultimately what brings them together, and her relationships with her peers are unique and worth protecting. She has the power to control rats, and she finds a way to build a deep and meaningful connection with Bloodsport, whose greatest fear and weakness is rats. That’s the power of her good heart. She fosters the good in Bloodsport, which helps inspire him to do the right thing during the film’s climax and fight Starro and defend the nation of Corto Maltese.
She not only connects with Bloodsport, but with King Shark as well and becomes his first friend. She admits that befriending him is a risk on her life, but a risk she happily takes. This is a perfect example of the kind of heart she has and why she’s so crucial to Task Force X’s success.
Ratcatcher 2’s big heart was instilled in her by her late father, Ratcatcher 1. He chose to develop technology to control rats because he believed that every living thing has a purpose and potential for greatness, and it’s a belief his daughter shares. This perspective can also be a more wholesome and optimistic approach to the very concept of the Suicide Squad project. The concept of Task Force X is that the U.S. government uses criminals to complete dangerous, yet necessary missions for the benefit of the world, or at least American interests. Applying the Ratcatcher perspective to this idea means that the team is made up of criminals who have been given the opportunity to rise above their past sins and make the world a better place.
Keeping Ratcatcher 2 alive pushes the concept that the members of Task Force X have the potential to grow into something greater and become the best versions of themselves. Despite the pain she experienced losing her father and the desperation she was forced into when she immigrated to America, she maintained her ideals and inspired those around her to be a better version of themselves. That makes her the biggest hero amongst Task Force X, and killing her off likely would have been too sad and disheartening for the audience.
Considering the ridiculousness of his character, Polka Dot Man has emerged as a fan favorite character from The Suicide Squad and his death was a tragic one. However, it is probably for the best that he died instead of Gunn’s original choice. Ratcatcher 2 is the emotional heart of the film, and it would have been far too cruel to kill her off in the climax.
See Ratcatcher 2 and the rest of Task Force X in The Suicide Squad, now playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.
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