Why James Gunn Was ‘Afraid’ to Cast Sylvester Stallone in ‘The Suicide Squad’ – at First

James Gunn wrote the role of King Shark specifically for Sylvester Stallone, but as he explains it, he was afraid at first to approach Stallone about playing the part. The two worked together previously on “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.”

“I actually had hired three different actors. I wrote the role for Sylvester Stallone. I was afraid… Sly’s my friend. … What if it didn’t work? He’s Sly! “I would’ve just had to have a voice that didn’t work,” Gunn said at a promotional event attended by TheWrap in july.

So while Steve Agee, who also plays Belle Reve warden John Economos, did the King Shark motion capture on set, they tried to audition a ton of actors to get the voice right.

“So we had a huge audition process with tons of voice actors. We had one voice actor come in and do the whole movie. It didn’t work,” Gunn said. “We had another voice actor come in and do the whole movie. He didn’t come to life. We had an actor — a really, really famous actor who was also a friend of mine — come in and do the voice. And that didn’t work!”

Ultimately, Gunn finally approached Stallone and the rest as they say is history.

“And then I was like, ‘Guys, I don’t know what to do. I think I have to go to Sly.’ And I called up Sly. He said he would love to do it. He came in and right away, that character just sort of came to life,” Gunn added.

With the movie finally out in theaters and on HBO Max, Stallone is winning audiences over with his performance as King Shark. Here is a sampling.

“King Shark steals the show!” wrote one Twitter user.



@JamesGunn’s #TheSuicideSquad is bloody fantastic. The perfect mix of action, humor, and all-around comic book goodness. King Shark steals the show! Definitely one of my favorite DC films to date.

— Trey (@TheTreyinator) July 30, 2021

“No matter what you say, #KingShark was by far the most loveable and entertaining character in #TheSuicideSquad,” wrote another Twitter user.



No matter what you say, #KingShark was by far the most loveable and entertaining character in #TheSuicideSquad

I NEED TO SEE HIM AGAIN SOMEWHERE IDK AQUAMAN 2? THE THE SUICIDE SQUAD? JUST SOMEWHERE! pic.twitter.com/L1ZxWTFvd4

— Keira | 76 days till ⊃∪∩⪽ (@keirariek_) August 6, 2021

Here are some more tweets.



King Shark really was the best part of Suicide Squad. Followed by the violence.

— Iceberg Slim (@TheOGMikeLowery) August 6, 2021



The hype for suicide squad was huge. and the king @JamesGunn delivered.

King Shark is my new favourite DC character

— Daniel (@Hydr0Liq) August 6, 2021



I finally saw The Suicide Squad and it's official. King Shark, welcome to my favorite characters club. pic.twitter.com/URCZFrVCEd

— Austin Torres (@AustinMTorres) August 6, 2021



Man did I miss @JamesGunn! He directs with such distinct style, wit, charm and verve! I LOVED The Suicide Squad! Idris Ilba is a stand-out for me! And KING SHARK steals every scene. John Cena’s best role, he cracked me up as PEACEMAKER! Looking forward to the spin-off series!

— robliefeld (@robertliefeld) August 6, 2021



SO I JUST FINISHED THE SUICIDE SQUAD IT'S MY FAVORITE CBM!
MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IN THE MOVIE WAS KING SHARK.
AND BTW THERE'S A POST CREDITS SCENE SO WATCH THE FULL THING

— Basel (@bagelemon) August 6, 2021

*Related stories from TheWrap:*

All the Major Deaths in 'The Suicide Squad' Ranked

How 'The Suicide Squad' Ties Into the Rest of the DCEU

You Can Definitely See Weasel's Penis in 'The Suicide Squad'