DCEU leak could reveal Peter Capaldi's shocking role in The Suicide Squad
He could go from galactic hero to terrestrial villain.
Peter Capaldi is a British icon. From his start as the foul-mouthed Malcolm Tucker on Veep-precursor The Thick of It, he then took over the helm of the most coveted role in British television: The Doctor on Doctor Who. After a four year stint in the Tardis, he left the show but recently signed on for a role in DC's upcoming sequel/reboot The Suicide Squad from director James Gunn. While his role is shrouded in mystery, a previously discounted leak that recently gained some credibility may reveal Capaldi's unexpected DC Extended Universe role.
An old 4chan leak was revisited by Redditor Fuel2thefire88, who pointed out the recent Black Adam casting news that Noah Centineo will play Atom Smasher gives the leak some credibility, offering options for roles across the DCEU, including one for Peter Capaldi.
If this leak is to be believed, Capaldi will play Thinker, a DC Comics villain and a member of the Suicide Squad in the comics. Thinker, also known as Clifford DeVoe, is an attorney who starts moonlighting as a "thinker" for a mob boss, basically being kept on retainer as an in-house mob attorney.
The Thinker, and his fetching lavender thinking cap, in the Suicide Squad
He eventually procures a "thinking cap," a metal hat that can amplify his own mental energy. It's like Magneto's helmet, but with Professor X's powers. He later became mortal enemies with The Flash and reveled in being a one-hero villain for years.
However, in Doom Patrol and Suicide Squad Special #1, Thinker changed his ways and sought to help the Suicide Squad in order to achieve a pardon and live out the rest of his days in peace. Unfortunately, this backfired when the Weasel slashed his throat, leaving him to die.
Luckily, the Thinker survived and ran away, where he truly reformed only to develop terminal cancer from prolonged use of the thinking cap. Death never gets in the way of a supergenius, though, and Thinker lived on as an A.I., which eventually turned evil, once again facing off against the Flash.
The Thinker in 'The Flash'
If Capaldi dons the thinking cap, it wouldn't be the first time we've seen this character onscreen. Neil Sandilands portrayed Clifford DeVoe in The Flash during the CW show's third and fourth seasons. The story strayed from the one in the comics, though, so it probably won't reflect what we see in the movie.
The Inverse Analysis — If this leak is to be believed, Peter Capaldi will become a new kind of elder hero, one with a sketchy past but an intellect that can't be beat. The fact that Capaldi has a past in bombastic sci-fi could bring a whole new demographic into DC fandom, and would certainly add some variety as a Squad member who isn't just about physical combat. How they'll get around his thick Scottish brogue, however, remains to be seen.
The Suicide Square is set to release on August 6, 2021.
