The Best DC Movie Character In Years Confirms Return
Before becoming the new co-head of DC Studios with Peter Safran, James Gunn shot some fresh blood into the now-defunct DCEU with The Suicide Squad. We got to see one of the characters get his own show with John Cena’s fantastic Peacemaker, and now it seems like Sylvester Stallone’s King Shark may make a DCU appearance sometime in the future.
Sylvester Stallone Returning As King Shark
Stallone talked to ComicBook.com a couple of years ago when he was asked if he would reprise the character again for Gunn, to which he replied, “Yes, for sure,” adding, “if there’s an opportunity… I love him, he’s great.”
Sylvester Stallone’s King Shark was instantly iconic, with Sly’s grunts and brief lines giving the character a humorous, yet intimidating presence. Similar to Vin Diesel’s Groot from James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, King Shark has a big presence without having to say too much. Fans are excited for his return to the DCU at some point, in whatever capacity that might be.
King Shark Started In Superboy
For those who don’t know, King Shark is a villain who first appeared in the Superboy comics, though he would also end up on the Suicide Squad later on in his comic book storyline. Also known as Nanaue, King Shark is a huge humanoid shark whose physiology gives him incredible strength, strong claws and teeth, and the ability to survive on both water and land. He basically looks like a big walking shark, which makes him immediately stand out from a character design perspective.
Part Of The Suicide Squad Team
In James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, King Shark ended up on Amanda Waller’s Task Force X and helped Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Idris Elba’s Deadshot, Daniela Melchior’s Ratcatcher 2, David Dastmalchian’s Polka-Dot Man, and Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flagg take down Starro the Conquerer.
As one of the few villains who survived his stint on Task Force X, the door is open for him to make his return to the DCU at some point. The only question is when we can expect to see him again.
James Gunn’s DC Slate
Looking at James Gunn’s upcoming slate of projects for the DCU, titled Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, there aren’t too many projects that stand out as obvious places for King Shark to make an appearance. Of course, it’s entirely possible that he could show up in the upcoming second season of Peacemaker.
Although Cena’s Peacemaker ended up betraying the Suicide Squad members in that movie, he has since had a redemption arc of sorts, and maybe Peacemaker could enlist King Shark’s help for whatever his next mission will be.
Keeping Some DCU Characters
In any case, it seems like James Gunn is more than willing to keep some of the characters he introduced in The Suicide Squad as part of the upcoming DCU. This means we’ll likely see King Shark pop up at some point, even if it ends up being a total surprise out of nowhere.
In the meantime, we can look forward to James Gunn officially getting the DCU underway when his first DCU movie, Superman, hits theaters on July 11, 2025.
Source: ComicBook.com
