David Dastmalchian to Play Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad

David Dastmalchian (Ant-Man and the Wasp, Dune, Reprisal) is set to play the Polka-Dot Man in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The announcement follows the recent news that John Cena is in negotiations to star in the film.

Polka-Dot Man is a villain from the comics who first debuted in Detective Comics No. 300. The character, whose real name is Abner Krill, is described as a low-level crook who tried to make a name for himself with spot themed crimes and costumes, including gimmicks like spots transforming into buzzsaws on command. The character leans into the embarrassment of his “lame” abilities.

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn will write and direct The Suicide Squad, which will act as a soft reboot for the franchise. While earlier this year a report suggested Margot Robbie will skip this sequel as well, the new report says that Harley Quinn will appear, though it’s less clear if Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flagg will return.

In addition to Robbie returning for a minor role in the film, Viola Davis returning as government team leader Amanda Waller and the size of Jai Courtney’s return as Captain Boomerang currently unknown, Will Smith dropped out as assassin Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot. The character was originally thought to return for the sequel with Idris Elba (Hobbs & Shaw) taking over the role, however it has since been revealed Elba will be portraying a completely new character. The film will introduce a roster of new characters to the franchise in a move that will propel the story forward in a way that’s both a sequel and a soft reboot for the franchise.

The first film, which hit theaters in August 2016, opened to mostly negative reviews from critics and mixed reviews from audiences, but was a large financial success, grossing nearly $750 million at the global box office off of a $175 million budget and went on to win an Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, marking the first DCEU film to win an Oscar.

Warner Bros. has scheduled The Suicide Squad to hit theaters on August 6, 2021.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)