Why Bloodsport is The Suicide Squad’s Captain America

The Suicide Squad is out in theaters and is certainly an improvement over 2016’s Suicide Squad. It might not be doing as well at the box office at the moment but it’s still a great movie. A big part of that is the new team with outstanding characters like Ratcatcher 2 and Bloodsport that took hold in this movie. James Gunn has firmly handed the baton to a new group of former criminals. Well, almost entirely new. Harley Quinn just keeps going back to jail.

While other new teammates like King Shark, Peacemaker, and Polka-Dot Man are exceptional, it is Bloodsport’s movie in many ways. No one on the team wanted to be on it less than Bloodsport. But Amanda Waller promised to turn him into a leader and that’s exactly what she did. In fact, he ended up becoming a lot more like Captain America than either man would like to admit.

Joining the Suicide Squad

Every villain in a prison like Belle Reve is there for a very different reason. That being said, Bloodsport might be there for the most badass crime in the DCEU. He ended up in Belle Reve after putting a Kryptonite bullet in Superman. The Man of Steel ended up in the ICU as a result. There are extremely few heroes or villains in the DCEU who can claim that kind of victory over their world’s top hero.

But there’s more to Bloodsport than that. He is obviously a highly intelligent man as he wears a suit of armor and uses advanced weapons. Not only is he the only person who can use them, but he was also the person who designed them. Waller seems to be one of the few people around who doesn’t completely underestimate Bloodsport on every conceivable level.

That’s why she knew she needed him on the team. Rick Flag led the distraction force filled mostly with absolute duds who took being disposable to another level. Unfortunately for Rick, it really didn’t seem like he knew he was the distraction. Waller cajoled Bloodsport into leading team two. He might not have felt like he was much of a leader but he certainly proved otherwise in the movie’s climactic battle.

Bloodsport shows his Captain America qualities

No one will ever accuse Bloodsport of being inspirational or even motivational. But he did prove himself to be a strong battlefield leader. With Starro bearing down on a city, it was Bloodsport who defied Waller and led what was left of the Suicide Squad back to fight it. That’s when he had his own Captain America-esque moment, starting with the decision to defend the city’s population.

It’s not just that both men were staring down an alien threat to Earth with a motley crew of superpowered vigilantes at their respective backs. When Loki and the Chitauri invaded New York in The Avengers, Cap called the shots. He took charge and directed traffic, formulating their defensive and offensive strategies. That’s what he excelled at and it showed in this scene.

Bloodsport did essentially the same thing in The Suicide Squad. He directed the remnants of his team on a plan to take on Starro, with every member playing their part. He might not have had a Hulk, but he certainly had a King Shark. There was even a specific moment when he told Harley Quinn to take the high ground, which was more than a little reminiscent of Cap telling Hawkeye to do the same.

While the future of the Suicide Squad is uncertain, to say the least, Bloodsport definitively proved that he has what it takes to lead a team of ner do wells. He made the right choice and did what he had to do. That’s a leader. If the Squad gets a round three on the big screen, Bloodsport should definitely make a return alongside his crew. The Justice League could stand being taken down and peg or two.