One Major Way Working On The Suicide Squad Was So Different Than Doctor Who, According To Peter Capaldi

The Thinker in The Suicide Squad trailer

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

The DC Extended Universe will expand in a matter of days, as James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad arrives in theaters. The R-rated blockbuster looks completely bonkers, and moviegoers can’t wait to see how the large ensemble cast is utilized. Actor Peter Capaldi is playing The Thinker, and recently revealed one major way working on The Suicide Squad was so different from his tenure on Doctor Who.

When The Suicide Squad’s cast was first announced, moviegoers were thrilled to learn that Doctor Who icon Peter Capaldi was included alongside names like Margot Robbie and Idris Elba. It’s unclear how The Thinker will factor into the story, but Capaldi recently spoke to the juxtaposition between his time in the DCEU and as The Doctor. As he delightfully put it,

And also there was more money! With Doctor Who, we don’t really have enough – everything on Doctor Who falls to pieces, all of the props fall to pieces and the costumes have to be stuck together with duct tape and velcro and stuff.

Well, that was honest. Because while Doctor Who might look great and have generations of fans, things sound less glamorous on set. Especially when Peter Capaldi was playing The Doctor and saw props and costumes sometimes fall apart. Hey, that’s the magic of show business.

Peter Capaldi’s comments to Digital Spy help to peel back the curtain on what it’s like on the set of a major film or TV project. And while Doctor Who has run for years, the budget James Gunn was given for The Suicide Squad was appropriately massive. As such, elements like props, costumes, and make-up could function at a top dollar price.

The Suicide Squad is hitting HBO Max at the same time as theaters. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

James Gunn has been open about how The Suicide Squad is the biggest and most fun project he’s ever worked on. The scale of the project is clear from the trailers, which feature plenty of explosions and even a massive kaiju. Clearly a ton of characters are going to perish.

Given his experience with Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn seems like the perfect filmmaker to bring Task Force X back to theaters. After all, he’s got experience focusing on a scrappy group of comic book underdogs. But in The Suicide Squad they’re villains, and the movie’s R-rating is sure to open new doors when it comes to violence and language.

The Suicide Squad will hit theaters on August 6th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.