Suicide Squad ISEKAI Teaser Trailer, Plot, Voice Cast, Director And More Details
Though it's quite rare for Western entertainment to combine with the unique visionary style and action of anime, the results can be pretty spectacular when it does happen. This is no doubt the plan when it comes to the upcoming mash-up of Japanese and American pop culture in "Suicide Squad ISEKAI." Taking a page from the DC anime film "Batman Ninja," which saw the Caped Crusader and some members of his rogue's gallery transported through time to an exaggerated version of feudal Japan, "Suicide Squad ISEKAI" will send Harley Quinn and her villainous colleagues to a typical fantasy setting.
For the uninitiated, isekai is a genre of anime and manga that sees characters from the "real world" transported to another reality. In some cases, they become a hero in their new realities, while in others, they have to contend with being placed into an entirely new body or avatar. In "Suicide Squad ISEKAI," the titular team of bad guys gets sent to another reality by Amanda Waller, but they might still find themselves being unlikely heroes, even in this strange new world. Here's everything we know so far about this crazy-sounding anime series.
When will Suicide Squad ISEKAI be released?
James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the co-heads of the newly formed DC Studios in 2022, and the pair quickly revealed that they had an "eight to 10-year" roadmap for a new cinematic universe (per The Hollywood Reporter). This soft reboot of the DC Extended Universe seemingly includes plans for all of DC's top superheroes, but that doesn't mean that those characters are going to be exclusive to what's been dubbed the DC Universe. Case in point: Matt Reeves' Batman movies, which are going by the name The BatVerse.
2022's "The Batman" and its upcoming sequel are proof that there's room for continuities outside of the DC Universe to thrive, and Gunn and Safran are more than happy about this, director Matt Reeves told Collider. "The Batman – Part II" is due for release in 2025, but DC fans will get to see members of the Dark Knight's rogue gallery in action before then — in anime form. While there's no concrete date just yet, it's been confirmed that "Suicide Squad ISEKAI" will be dropping at some in 2024.
What is the plot of Suicide Squad ISEKAI?
When "Suicide Squad ISEKAI" was first announced, the official website for the animated series shared two brief descriptions to give audiences an idea of what to expect. Both were then roughly translated into English. "Deadly crazy party of the baddest villains land themselves in ISEKAI! The most dangerous and bizarre fantasy adventure unveiled!" reads the first description. Meanwhile, the second description from the website reads as follows: "DC's Harley Quinn and The Joker have been ISEKAI!? Suicide Squad rampages onto the stage of ISEKAI! A new original animation from Japan! The most maddening worlds collide in an epic and violent fantasy with the strongest line-up of creators!"
While those two descriptions didn't reveal too much, the fact that the show is called "Suicide Squad ISEKAI" led fans to believe that more than just the Joker and Harley Quinn would be involved. When Warner Bros. released the first official synopsis for the show in December 2023, fans were proven right. "In the crime-ridden city of Gotham, Amanda Waller, the head of A.R.G.U.S., has assembled a group of notorious criminals for a mission: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark," the synopsis reads (via Crunchyroll). "These supervillains are sent into an otherworldly realm that's connected to this world through a gate. It's a world of swords and magic where orcs rampage and dragons rule the skies."
The synopsis goes on to reveal that the titular squad have "lethal explosives planted in their necks" and that failing the mission will earn them "a one-way ticket to the afterlife." Bombs being implanted in the bodies of the Suicide Squad to keep them in check is a set-up we're familiar with, but these new surroundings will be unlike anything fans of Task Force X have ever seen.
Who is starring in Suicide Squad ISEKAI?
In December 2023, Warner Bros. revealed the official cast list for "Suicide Squad ISEKAI," and it's a who's-who of voice acting talent: Anna Nagase, Yuichiro Umehara, Reigo Yamaguchi, Takehito Koyasu, Jun Fukuyama, and Subaru Kimura are starring as the titular team.
Despite landing what is arguably the lead role in Harley Quinn, Anna Nagase is the least-experienced member of the main voice cast. She's best known for voicing Ushio Kofune in the highly-rated time travel anime series "Summer Time Rendering," though she has also worked on shows such as "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners." The Joker is far from the first intimidating character that Yuichiro Umehara has voiced: He plays the eponymous character in the gory series "Goblin Slayer," which returned for a second season in 2023. He also recently played Jugram Haschwalth in "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War."
Reigo Yamaguchi, who is playing Deadshot, has plied his trade on the likes of "Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma," "One Punch Man," and "Dr. Stone," while Takehito Koyasu, who is playing Peacemaker, is known to fans as the voice of Dio in "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" and Zeke in "Attack on Titan." Jun Fukuyama (who plays a very suave-looking Clayface) is famous for the roles of Lelouch Lamperouge in "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion" and Koro-sensei in "Assassination Classroom," and Subaru Kimura (who features as a denim dungaree-wearing King Shark) recently voiced Sakuragi Hanamichi in the hit anime movie "The First Slam Dunk."
Which studio is making Suicide Squad ISEKAI?
Warner Bros. Japan has teamed up with Wit Studio for "Suicide Squad ISEKAI," a name that will be familiar to anime fans. Founded in 2012 by George Wada (a former staffer at the renowned studio Production I.G.), Wit quickly became a big name in the anime game, thanks largely to its work on the early seasons of "Attack on Titan." Wada brought several Production I.G. employees on board to help make "Attack on Titan" the hit show it became, including Kyoji Asano, Satoshi Kadowaki, and Tetsuro Araki. Since then, the Tokyo-based studio has made the likes of "The Ancient Magus' Bride," "Vinland Saga," "Great Pretender," "Seraph of the End," and "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress." Wit is also partly behind the hit series "Spy x Family," which won best new series at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
According to Warner Bros. Japan executive producer Hiroyuki Omori, the company higher-ups knew that they wanted to make an anime based on DC characters, but they let Wit pick which ones to focus on. Wit opted for the Suicide Squad because the "characters are really vivid and strong," George Wada told Anime News Network. "You're all familiar that the isekai genre is when the characters are transported from their normal life into this entirely different world, but I suspected that average DC fans wouldn't have watched isekai anime as their daily routine. So, if 'Suicide Squad' is produced by a Japanese animation studio, I assumed that creating an isekai genre anime would be an original approach only we could take."
Who is directing Suicide Squad ISEKAI?
"Suicide Squad ISEKAI" is directed by Eri Osada. Though Osada may not be the most well-known name to DC fans, viewers don't need to worry about that too much, because she has a pretty impressive resume. Osada has been working in the industry since 2008 and has contributed to many well-reviewed anime films and television series: She did in-between animation for "Strike Witches," key animation for "Pokemon: Zoroarc – Master of Illusions," further key animation on "Supernatural: The Animation," and character design for "Blade & Soul." Osada has also worked in key animation and as an animation director on episodes of "Blast of Tempest," and in character design for "Ensemble Stars" and "The Fate of Arad," the latter of which also saw her work as a chief animation director.
What's more, Osada is a big DC fan, with a particular love for The Flash. "When I took this job on, I thought maybe it's a good way to get a connection with the DC, so, later, I might get to direct the Flash anime," she told Anime News Network before going into her vision for Harley Quinn. It appears as though this Harley will be a mix between the classic and newer version of the character. "In some movies, Harley Quinn depended on the Joker. But in the other movies, she has fallen out with the Joker and fights with him," Osada said. "What I wanted was the next step of Harley being an independent woman. That's the image I had. Although I wanted her to be an independent woman, I also wanted Harley to look cute in front of the Joker."
Who is writing Suicide Squad ISEKAI?
"Suicide Squad ISEKAI" is written by Tappei Nagatsuki and Eiji Umehara. Nagatsuki is best known as the creator of the popular light novel series "RE: Zero – Starting Life in Another World" and its various spin-offs. The mangaka and novelist also created "Isekai Quartet," showing that he's more than capable of telling great stories within this ever-popular genre. Umehara, for his part, has worked with Nagatsuki on "RE: Zero – Starting Life in Another World" and "Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song," on which they are credited as co-creators. He has also worked on other major franchises such as "Star Fox," "Appleseed," and "Halo" in the past.
Regardless of how familiar fans are with these particular projects and franchises, they can expect something totally new from "Suicide Squad ISEKAI." Speaking to Anime News Network, Wit Studio producer Sho Ohtani revealed that while Nagatsuki was instrumental in forming the two main characters, director Eri Osada also had a lot of input. "Nagatsuki-san produced everyone's favorite Harley and the Joker, but that influence came from Osada-san," Ohtani said. "She had her vision of how the Joker and Harley should act and behave. So he took that vision and developed it into a project."
Is there a teaser trailer for Suicide Squad ISEKAI?
The teaser trailer for "Suicide Squad ISEKAI" opens with Harley Quinn asking the question, "Have you ever wanted to go somewhere different? To another world?" She then states, "I'll take you there!" This immediately sets the stall out for the story, and it also differentiates it from other isekai shows. Usually, when it comes to this genre, the protagonist is an ordinary person who gets unexpectedly killed and wakes up in a fantasy land, but that's not the case here. "There is no dramatic end before they enter the world," Wit Studio's Sho Ohtani told Anime News Network. "Usually, the isekai fantasy is all about them being forcefully taken into the isekai world. In this story, they actually choose to be in another world, so they have a purpose to go into that world."
While the teaser trailer doesn't give away what this purpose is, it makes it clear that the villains who are being sent to this new world are relishing the opportunity. "Another world," the Joker screams manically as he evades police in a car chase through the streets of Gotham, "I like the sound of that! That's exactly what I want!" We then see a flash of green light and a helicopter crash landing in what Ohtani has revealed is a typical fantasy setting — there's floating castles, dramatic landscapes, huge dragons, and pig-like orcs. The latter come under attack from the Suicide Squad, who are all kitted out on orange jumpsuits. It's absolute carnage, which is exactly what DC fans have come to expect from Task Force X.
Who performs the theme song for Suicide Squad ISEKAI?
The theme song for "Suicide Squad ISEKAI" is an up-tempo jazzy number called "Another World," reminiscent of the memorable music from "Cowboy Bebop" in its pace and intensity. It's performed by veteran singer, songwriter, and composer Tomoyasu Hotei, who has sold over 40 million records over the course of a career that spans four decades. He gained fame as a member of the Japanese rock band BOØWY before making it as a solo artist, recording his debut album at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London, where he now lives with his family. He has an affinity for British rock music and is a huge fan of David Bowie, Roxy Music, and The Rolling Stones, according to his website.
Hotei is perhaps best known in the Western world for his song "Battle Without Honor or Humanity," which was featured in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill," though he's no stranger to anime soundtracks. He composed the track "No Future" for the classic anime "Zoids Shin Seiki/Zero," and, more recently, he created the opening theme for the show "Classicaloid," a comedy about two high school students who attempt to breathe some life into their sleepy rural town with their music. Hotei isn't the only musician working on "Suicide Squad ISEKAI" – Kenichiro Suehiro (known for the likes of "Re:ZERO – Starting Life in Another World," "Golden Kamuy," and "Undead Unluck") is listed as the series composer.