Suicide Squad To Crossover With Scooby-Doo?
James Gunn teased the idea that a Scooby-Doo and Suicide Squad crossover could happen.
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Crossovers are not uncommon in the world of pop culture. Comic books, television shows, and movies have seen several characters make appearances in unexpected places. Now, one of the most likely pairings might become a reality. When asked if The Suicide Squad could ever collaborate with the Scooby-Doo gang, James Gunn said, while it may not be at the top of his priority list, he wouldn’t rule out the possibility.
The exciting, albeit unique revelation, was made during a Twitter exchange with a fan. When social media user, @Mark38DA referenced Scooby-Doo’s epic list of crossovers and suggested a crossover with The Suicide Squad, James Gunn responded. “I don’t see it being at the top of my queue,” he wrote. “But never say never.”
While the idea might seem a little far-fetched, since The Suicide Squad is strictly for adults and Scooby-Doo is family-friendly, James Gunn has experience with both franchises. Long before he brought some of Marvel and DC’s most popular characters to the big screen, the director was best known for his work on the live-action Scooby-Doo films from the early 2000s.
The Suicide Squad alum penned the first installment in the Scooby-Doo live-action film series which was directed by Raja Gosnell. The story followed Mystery Incorporated, a group of four young adults and a talking dog who solves mysteries. After a two-year break, the team reunites to investigate a mystery at a popular horror-themed tropical island resort. The film featured performances by Freddie Prinze Jr, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Isla Fisher, and Rowan Atkinson.
While the film performed rather well at the box office, it received negative reviews from critics, who maligned its script and humor. But due to positive fan response, a sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed was released two years later. Along with the cast, Raja Gosnell and James Gunn also returned to their respective creative roles for the project. Since then Gunn has worked on several projects in the superhero genre like The Suicide Squad.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time James Gunn hinted at a Scooby-Doo crossover with The Suicide Squad. In 2020, the filmmaker shared the idea on Twitter while answering fan questions. When asked if Mystery Inc would team up with The Guardians of the Galaxy he said via ComicBook, “Scooby & the Guardians might be unlikely considering its Warner/Disney. But, you know, an animated Mystery Ink/The Suicide Squad film is always possible.”
Moreover, James Gunn recently confirmed that the PG-rated Scooby-Doo was originally designed with a slightly different demographic in mind. Taking to Twitter, The Suicide Squad filmmaker said that he and director Raja Gosnell were initially aiming for a PG-13 rating, but the MPAA branded it with an R instead. That’s probably because the studio didn’t want to see the mystery-solving heroes adopting a harder edge.
With the sheer volume of unexpected faces Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Velma, and Daphne have encountered over the years, a crossover with The Suicide Squad wouldn’t be totally out of place. The Mystery Inc team has teamed up with rock icons Kiss, Johnny Bravo, Batman, basketball legends the Harlem Globetrotters, and plenty of other notable stars.
