“Sounds Like A Beautiful Story”: The Suicide Squad Star Addresses What A Polka-Dot Man Prequel Should Explore

As James Gunn forges ahead with his DC Universe plans, David Dastmalchian shares his ideas for a Polka-Dot Man prequel to The Suicide Squad. Dastmalchian brought the infamous Batman villain to the screen in the 2021 DC Extended Universe sequel, in which he joined the various members of the new Task Force X to investigate the mysterious Project Starfish on the island of Corto Maltese. Written and directed by Gunn, The Suicide Squad was a critical hit, falling just shy of Wonder Woman to be the best-reviewed DCEU movie, though fell short at the box office due to its COVID-based release and simultaneous streaming premiere.

During an interview with Screen Rant at the BoxLunch Holiday Gala event, Dastmalchian weighed in on the potential of his return as Polka-Dot Man. The Suicide Squad star reiterated his interest in expanding his character with a prequel story, even sharing his idea for when exactly the project should be set and his hopes for Gunn to be the one to write it. See what Dastmalchian shared below:

James wrote such a beautifully tragic part for Abner and the story of his childhood working, not working, but being forced to be a part of the experiments. It is a beautiful, tragic story. So, if James ever decided that he wanted to tell a story about what happened with those ill-fated siblings and their domineering mother at Star Labs, I think it sounds like a beautiful story.

Could Polka-Dot Man Get A DCU Prequel?

This isn’t the first time Dastmalchian has shared his hopes for a Polka-Dot Man-based project. The actor previously expressed his desire to see a prequel for the character around the time of The Suicide Squad‘s release, even addressing the then-yet-to-be-released Peacemaker show as an example of how a character could be expanded on. Dastmalchian did also share his idea of a potential sequel story in spite of his character’s death in the movie’s final act, explaining that a remaining polka dot from his suit could gain some of his consciousness.

While Dastmalchian remains hopeful for either expansion, it remains unclear whether a Polka-Dot Man prequel is feasibly in the cards for the future. Gunn’s DCU plans are largely rebooting that of the DCEU, having already confirmed the entire original Justice League cast is being replaced, though talks are said to be ongoing with Jason Momoa for a new role. Additionally, with Gunn’s focus currently on Superman: Legacy and the highly-anticipated Peacemaker season 2, his docket may be too full to properly write such a project.

That being said, there are a number of other factors that could be argued for a Polka-Dot Man prequel after The Suicide Squad. Given both Peacemaker season 2 and its spinoff Waller are still moving forward, and Gunn has confirmed the development of extra projects labeled under the Elseworlds banner, he may not entirely give up the idea of revisiting some of his characters. Additionally, with Dastmalchian himself being an accomplished comic book writer, he could very well use said medium to flesh the character out further, if not help write up a proper movie or TV show.