DCU’s Reboot Can Bring Back The DCEU’s Most Underrated Hero 3 Years After His Movie Sacrifice

With the DCU reboot comes a lot of DCEU casting casualties (with standout examples being Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Henry Cavill’s Superman), but there is one underrated hero whose in-universe sacrifice could be reversed under the same reboot rules. The DCU is set to bring a mostly brand-new slate of actors and characters, with David Corenswet’s Superman leading the charge in Superman, which is slated for release in 2025. James Gunn has already confirmed that a litany of lesser-known characters will be joining in later installments, which is a cohort that the DC Studios Co-CEO has proven experience with.

James Gunn’s comic book credentials were established with Guardians of the Galaxy and cemented by his work on The Suicide Squad. The latter remains one of the best-rated DCEU installments despite starring a host of relatively unknown characters, with Gunn’s direction turning them into fast movie fan favorites in the space of a single film. Among the highlights was David Dastmalchian’s Polka-Dot Man, a tragic villain/anti-hero with one of the most bizarre super-powers in comic book movie history whose cinematic tenure was cut criminally short by the ending of The Suicide Squad.

The DCU’s Reboot Rules Could Undo The Suicide Squad’s Most Unfair Death

The Suicide Squad saw a rebooted Task Force X comprising such new faces as Bloodsport, King Shark, Ratcatcher 2, and Polka-Dot Man going up against Starro the Destroyer in a bizarre yet entertaining final act. It was during this battle that Polka-Dot Man, a tortured character whose “powers” had been inflicted upon him by an abusive mother, finally found solace after contributing significantly to Starro’s death using his polka-dots. It was swiftly after declaring that he was a real-life superhero that Polka-Dot man was unceremoniously crushed by one of Starro’s intact limbs.

This death packed a significant sting thanks to Polka-Dot Man’s likability and character growth – but it can also be reversed given that the DCU is now an entirely new continuity. James Gunn has confirmed that some DCEU characters will be returning to the DCU, but pre-DCU events are not canon. Instead, the DCU will cherry-pick aspects of the DCEU that it wishes to carry over. This is a precedent being set by Peacemaker season 2, which will assume the bulk of the previous season as common knowledge while foregoing its canonicity. As such, this provides ample room for Polka-Dot Man’s return.

Why David Dastmalchian Should Come Back In The DCU Even If Polka-Dot Man Doesn’t

From being a henchman in Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy to playing Veb in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, David Dastmalchian has considerable experience playing roles in superhero movies and is also a fantastic actor. His credentials are growing more impressive, with his recent starring role in Late Night With The Devil being widely acclaimed. It isn’t hard to see Dastmalchian taking on another role in the DCU such as Scarecrow, which he has already expressed an interest in.

The actor also has an established history of working with James Gunn after having first played a role in The Belko Experiment, which Gunn wrote. Like many auteurs, Gunn has a track record of re-casting actors in his projects – including Nathan Fillion and Sean Gunn, to name a couple. While Dastmalchian’s Polka-Dot Man is certainly one of his more memorable roles, if Gunn deems it unnecessary to revive him for the DCU, then there are still plenty of other roles that the actor could capably embody.