Why King Shark From The Suicide Squad Sounds So Familiar

Yep, it’s none other than Rocky Balboa and John Rambo himself, Sylvester Stallone. Gunn and Stallone both confirmed the news on Twitter shortly after the trailer dropped. Although King Shark had already been confirmed as one of the new members of the Squad, the news that Stallone is playing him came as a surprise — Gunn had revealed that Stallone would be in the film back in Nov. 2020 but didn’t specify who he would be playing. Previously, fans had speculated that Stallone’s The Suicide Squad co-star Taika Waititi would be voicing King Shark. Waititi’s character is still unannounced.

This is the second collaboration between Gunn and Stallone, who worked together on Gunn’s The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 back in 2017. Stallone played Stakar Ogord, leader of the Stakar clan of the Ravagers, the galaxy-spanning criminal syndicate from that series. 

It’s also not the first time Stallone has provided his voice for a major movie. Previously, he’s played Weaver in the 1998 animated comedy Antz, Joe the Lion in the 2011 Kevin James vehicle Zookeeper, and Victor in the 2016 video game adaptation Ratchet & Clank. 

Based on the trailer, it looks like King Shark will require Stallone to use both his intensity and his comedic skills. The Suicide Squad will premiere in theaters and on HBO Max on Aug. 6, 2021, so it won’t be much longer before we meet this lovable lunkhead with a taste for human flesh.