Bar one middle-of-the-night argument involving a peckish Sylvestre Stalone as a CGI shark and John Cena in nothing but his tighty whities (this film is crackers) the mainstay of conversation after the credits have rolled on The Suicide Squad is the comedy-nail-on-the-head rivalry between WWE star Cena and Idris Elba.
Elba (who plays Bloodsport in James Gunn’s unavoidably goofy take on DC’s misfit anti-hero world savers) is famed for his no nonsense roles in The Wire and Luther. But he says the oft slapstick rivalry with Cena, taking up the stupidly shiny helmet (literally, it caused shooting issues left, right and centre) of Peacemaker, came naturally thanks to plenty of off-screen competition.
“It was a great experience to explore, one of things that just developed,” he says. “When you read the script you can see the natural rivalry that’s there. John and I gravitated to that competition and that was a lot of fun, really great fun, and James would egg it on.
“James would allow us do one take this way, now this way, and that really helped me to bring this character out.
“You end up having to really work to figure out who Bloodsport is. James allowed us to throw it at the wall. I got to work with John Cena who is a genius in terms of improv and that brought both the characters out even more.
“The big one for me was James talking about Bloodsport’s legacy and how to play him.The trope is to play someone fit and ready to go. The costume fitting took weeks and I said to James ‘it doesn’t fit like it used to’, and we just ended up playing with the idea that this guy ain’t as fit as he used to be. An older dude that’s still handy.
“I’ve played characters at the prime of their physicality but this guy is a bit older and a bit rusty, and James wanted to sow that in. It was so fun to play.”
Cena cited the lack of individuality between the pair – the only difference being Peacemaker’s enthusiasm to be on board and Bloodsport dragging his heels only at the behest of a threat against his daughter – as fuelling the fires of the feud.
“James cast a very wide net, and gave superhero personalities that were very definable to everyone – except us two,” he says. “And that starts the one-upmanship. The other ‘heroes’ don’t need to compete with each other but that small journey really does make for some comedic moments.
“I did feel bad for James because my favourite part of the costume is the chrome helmet. It’s the most ridiculous piece of the costume, and really hard for James [to shoot because of the reflections of the set].”
Bloodsport and Peacemaker is a standout relationship in a veritable sea of (lovingly disfunctional) bonds.
Which was a tough ask, given the widespread thumbs down to the 2016 film Suicide Squad starring Will Smith and (the returning here) Margot Robbie.
Not being a sequel, it was critical to strike the right tone, and the also returning Joel Kinnaman (playing jaded squad captain Rick Flag) puts that down to a solid scripting process that built on everything the now fabled (for the wrong reasons) first flick did right, while leaving behind all the much derided faff.
“To get to do this new version of Flag, spread some comedic wings, was great. It may have been the second time I did it, but it felt like doing for the first time,” says Kinnaman.
“We decided it was not going to be bound by the first film, that we’d let this be a new experience. I had so much fun and it almost felt like it was a new character.
“There was no overtime, no reshoots, everyone felt that there was this clarity of vision, exactly the same film together. That makes it easy and fun and you get to focus.”
And while the characters may not always have it together, the guys and gals playing them certainly do, according to Gunn.
“They were all so prepared on set and that’s where some of the magic comes from. They have been the best cast members to work with, a fantastic experience. Not a bad apple in the group, for real,” he says.
Now that’s #squadgoals.
In cinemas Thursday August 5.
