In a collection of weird heroes introduced in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, we got Polka-Dot Man, originally a minor Batman supervillain who made his debut in Detective Comics #300 in February 1962; however, the character has mostly made non-speaking appearances in the animated realm and the 2021 feature is the first time that the live-action character existed. Originally, when the cast was announced, Polka-Dot Man was met with plenty of head scratches and confusion. Though the world of Gotham features a huge roster, there are plenty of villains that are often left in the comics, especially minor names like Polka-Dot Man. Given James Gunn’s knack for tackling weird characters, it’s no surprise that the filmmaker managed to pull off Polka-Dot Man’s first-ever live-action appearance.
It helps that Polka-Dot Man has a unique superhero ability. To watch a man, shoot polka-dots out of his body shouldn’t work especially in a comic book world, but James Gunn’s characters and world are so quirky that Krill never feels out of place in The Suicide Squad. It was cool to see him on the battlefield taking down foes left and right. However, the dry humor coming from the character is what really helps sell himself. While he never truly surpasses Peacemaker as the craziest member on the team, it was funny that he hoped he died during the suicide mission. Given the fact that he’s squashed by Starro, I guess mission accomplished.
In a world full of comic book characters, he stands out from the pack in a major way and his backstory itself is very intriguing. The explanation about his mother becoming obsessed with her kids becoming a superhero is pretty much the “scientist gone mad” angle but given the unique situation surrounding Polka-Dot Man’s powers, it should be interesting how she managed to come up with an experiment that results in her son vomiting and shooting out Polka-Dots each day. Did she get some weird ingredients from a different planet? What would make a mother go mad enough to sacrifice her own children just for the pursuit of heroism? Why didn’t the woman just use the medicine on herself? There are plenty of fascinating layers surrounding the young life of Abner Krill that could deviate from the normal origin stories that usually come into play with comic book characters.
However, that’s not the only aspect that the filmmakers have to focus on. There’s no doubt that there’s a strong, deep-rooted story that can be plucked during Krill’s childhood days, but the spin-off can actually focus on how the comic book villain during his days as an adult before ending up in prison. To be honest, it’s understandable why the character has never been featured in any live-action or animated versions of Batman. The dark knight is a brooding and gritty character, and though the DC hero has a plethora of colorful villains on his roster, names like Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Joker can still fit in the dark world that Batman parades in. Even Polka-Dot Man would feel out of place in the extremely campy Batman & Robin. However, there’s a darker layer to his character that could be explored. Maybe Polka-Dot Man is crying out for attention for the Dark Knight? Maybe Polka-Dot Man hates Batman because he feels like a failure for not becoming the superhero that his mother wanted him to be? Maybe he goes around murdering heroes because of that notion? We understand Krill’s backstory, so we don’t necessarily have to follow his days as a kid. He’s been scarred by his upbringing and surely that plays into the reasoning he’s sure a damaged soul. Plus, it gives more exposure to the world Gotham. The films and television series have focused so much on bigger names such as Batman, Superman, Aquaman, and Robin, that the universe has kind of become stale because there’s only so many times you can tell a different story using the same superhero.
Polka-Dot Man is dead, so it’s unlikely that he’ll be back for The Suicide Squad sequel. Though given the weak box office performance, it would be a miracle if DC greenlit another feature. However, just because his character is gone doesn’t mean he has to be forgotten. DC has a vast array of color characters on their roster and it would great if they showcased them more. It’s understandable that there’s a risk of superhero overload as there’s already an abundance of comic book shows on television, but Polka-Dot Man stand outs and he will surely bring a different energy into the crowded world.
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