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Nathan Fillion may be joining James Gunn's The Suicide Squad

The actor and the director are good friends, but there's no official confirmation. Yet.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
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Actor Nathan Fillion may be joining The Suicide Squad.

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Actor Nathan Fillion may be joining James Gunn's 2021 film, The Suicide Squad. Fillion, best known to many as Captain Mal Reynolds of Firefly and Serenity fame, will have a starring role in the film, Deadline reported on Sunday, though the news isn't officially confirmed. Representatives for Fillion, Gunn and Warner Bros didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

Fillion's actual role isn't being revealed, Deadline notes.

It wouldn't be surprising at all if Fillion lands in the picture. In 2017, Gunn wrote on Facebook, "As many of you know one of my best friends in the world is Nathan Fillion. Along with Michael Rooker and Gregg Henry he's been in every movie I've directed."

Fillion voiced a creepy prisoner in Guardians of the Galaxy, starred in Gunn's 2006 horror movie Slither, and filmed a scene for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 that was cut from the film. 

Gunn has previously said that The Suicide Squad isn't quite a sequel to the 2016 film that was just called Suicide Squad, which was based on DC super-villain characters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is a relaunch of the concept.

The Suicide Squad is set to open on Aug. 6, 2021.

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