The Suicide Squad ending and post-credits scene explained

Idris Elba as Bloodsport and Sylvester Stallone as King Shark in The Suicide Squad movie
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Spoilers follow for The Suicide Squad on HBO Max.

The Suicide Squad, Warner Bros’ latest DC Extended Universe (DCEU) movie, has arrived on HBO Max – and there’s a fair bit to unpack from James Gunn’s R-rated superhero (or should that be supervillain?) film.

Now that the credits have rolled, we imagine you have questions, including who lived and died, and what went down in the movie's post-credits scene. 

Below, we’ll break down how The Suicide Squad ends, as well as cover how its final few scenes will affect at least one DCEU project. It’s obvious to say, but we’re about to dive into major spoiler territory for The Suicide Squad, so turn back now if you haven’t watched it in its entirety.

The Suicide Squad ending explained: who died during the Corto Maltese mission? 

Bloodsport, Ratcatcher 2, Harley Quinn, King Shark and Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

It would be easier to list those who actually survived. Ahead of the film’s release, director James Gunn continually stated that there would be major casualties among the movie’s sizable cast – and he wasn’t joking.

The majority of the film’s ensemble cast didn’t make it past the Saving Private Ryan-inspired beach assault in the first act. Of that number, the demise of Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) was the most shocking, given that he had featured prominently in the 2016 movie adaptation of Suicide Squad.

Of those who made it into the heart of Corto Maltese, though, two characters' journeys wouldn’t progress much further.

Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) is murdered by Peacemaker (John Cena) after the pair fought over a vital piece of evidence. The item in question – a hard drive – contained evidence of the US government’s involvement in funding experiments surrounding Starro, with Flag and Peacemaker divided over what to do with it.

Feeling betrayed by the very people he conducted these missions for, Flag wants to upload the drive to the internet and reveal the US government’s secret to the world. As a loyal patriot, however, Peacemaker has other ideas. He wants to give the evidence to Task Force X’s leader Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to ensure that the footage never sees the light of day.

After a brutal, hand-to-hand battle, it’s Peacemaker who comes out on top. As Flag tries to suffocates him with a lead pipe, Peacemaker grabs a nearby piece of broken porcelain and stabs Flag in the heart, thereby killing him.

Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) is the other major casualty of the movie’s third act. Helping his fellow supervillains to halt Starro’s rampage across the island, he’s crushed by one of the starfish kaiju’s five limbs – but not before he heroically shouts “I’m finally a superhero!” for doing something good with his life. It’s a semi-honorable death and one that, ironically, he’d asked for earlier in the film.

So, who did survive to the very end? Of the 15 supervillains who made up this version of Task Force X, only six lived to tell the tale.

Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Harley Quinn (Margo Robbie), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), King Shark (Steve Agee/Sylvester Stallone), Weasel (Sean Gunn) and, surprisingly, Peacemaker are the sextet who make it out alive.

It’s the latter two of that group, though, who have the biggest questions surrounding them, and this is where The Suicide Squad’s post-credits scenes come into play.

The Suicide Squad ending explained: is there an end credits scene? 

Bloodsport, Ratcatcher 2, Polka-Dot Man and Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Yes. In fact, there are two – one immediately after The Suicide Squad’s title card appears, and one once the credits have rolled.

The first concerns Weasel. Presumed dead after it seemingly drowned before the beach assault, Weasel coughs up some sea water and awakens to find itself alone on the shore. Unaware of the events that have just played out, and with no way of getting off the island, Weasel heads into the nearby jungle – presumably to live out its days as a Corto Maltese urban myth.

If The Suicide Squad’s first end credits scene is meant to be slightly humorous, its second could set up an intriguing future for one DCEU production. 

John Economos (Steve Agee) and Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), two of Waller’s aides, arrive at an unknown hospital and are led to a particular patient’s room by a doctor. The camera pans around to show who is in the room’s hospital bed – and it’s none other than Peacemaker.

It’s a surprise to see Peacemaker alive. Having killed Flag, Peacemaker realizes that Ratcatcher 2 watched him murder their former teammate in cold blood. The hard drive, meanwhile, was tossed to the ground in the ensuing melee – and Ratcatcher 2 now has it in her possession.

A chase ensues as Peacemaker tries to retrieve the evidence and he eventually corners his prey. Despite her pleas not to shoot, Peacemaker draws his weapon to kill Ratcatcher 2, but Bloodsport shows up in the nick of time.

The duo exchange fire, but it’s Bloodsport that lands a telling long-range blow and seemingly kills Peacemaker. Fast-forward to the after credits scene, however, and Peacemaker clearly isn’t dead.

So how does this set up the DCEU’s future? For one, it’s likely that The Suicide Squad’s post-credits scene is setting up events for Peacemaker’s forthcoming TV show, which is due to launch on HBO Max in January 2022.

Billed as a series that will “explore the origins” of Peacemaker, many fans had been led to believe that the show will be a prequel to The Suicide Squad. While that may still be the case – we may get flashbacks to how Cena’s character becomes Peacemaker in the first place – it’s also possible that the TV series will be set after The Suicide Squad.

Given that Agee’s Economos and Holland’s Harcourt will be supporting characters in the show, The Suicide Squad’s post-credits scene is clearly a setup for Peacemaker’s TV show.

The eight-part series has been written and directed by Gunn, too, so it’ll be closely tied to The Suicide Squad regardless of whether it’s a prequel, sequel or a combination of the two. 

If Peacemaker survives his next ordeal, we may see him appear in future DCEU movies – especially any that may star Bloodsport. He’ll want revenge, after all, and that could even set up events for a Suicide Squad sequel. Here’s hoping we get one.

Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

Read more
A Creature Commandos collage image showing Ilana, Nina, and The Bride
Creature Commandos season 1 ending explained: who dies, is there a post-credits scene, will there be a season 2, and more of your biggest questions answered
A collage image of a scarred Ilana and Weasel looking at a photograph in Creature Commandos episode 4
Creature Commandos stars open up on how episode 4's two huge plot twists will impact the DCU TV show's overall story: 'it's an interesting reveal'
A screenshot of the official poster for James Gunn's Superman movie, which shows the titular hero flying into the sky
DCU Chapter One: every upcoming DC movie and TV show plus known release dates
A collage image of David Corenswet's Superman, Milly Alcock's Supergirl, and Robert Pattinson's Batman
James Gunn's DCU just got a major update – here are 6 key takeaways from the latest press event, including some big Batman news
Rick Flag Sr and Amanda Waller walking down a hall in Creature Commandos episode 1
Creature Commandos star Frank Grillo reveals why Rick Flag Sr will be 'on a mission' for justice in James Gunn's Superman movie and Peacemaker season 2
A screenshot of David Corenswet's Man of Steel suiting up in a Metropolis apartment while a pink lazer is fired in the background in 2025's Superman film
James Gunn's Superman movie: release date, trailer, confirmed cast, plot synopsis, and more news on the first DCU Chapter One film
Latest in Entertainment
Some of the Avengers standing in a room without their costumes on in Marvel's Avengers: Endgame movie
'It's a new beginning': Avengers 5 and 6 directors tease what Marvel fans can expect from Doomsday and Secret Wars' plot – and how they will set up the MCU's future
Trinity Rodman #2 of the Washington Spirit crosses the ball during a game between Bay FC and Washington Spirit at Audi Field on November 10, 2024 in Washington, DC.
National Women's Soccer League 2025: How to watch NWSL games live from anywhere
Irish boxer TJ Doheny receives an undercard bout, ahead of the WBO super welterweight world title fight in March, 2023
Ball vs Doheny live stream: how to watch the boxing from anywhere now, full undercard, start time, weigh-in results
Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match in February 2025
Liverpool vs Newcastle live stream: how to watch Carabao Cup final 2025 online, team news
The Russo brothers posing for a photograph and Herman carrying a Volkswagen camper van in The Electric State
'We're optimists': AI enthusiasts Joe and Anthony Russo defend its use in movies and TV shows, but admit there are 'very real dangers' around its application
Lando Norris driving around a bend during practice for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix 2025: How to watch this season’s first F1 race online from anywhere
Latest in News
PowerColor Red Devil AMD RX 9070 XT graphics card shown side-on
Your next GPU could be from AMD, not Nvidia, if Team Red’s success with PC gamers continues
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, March 18 (game #1149)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, March 18 (game #380)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, March 18 (game #646)
Samsung Galaxy S24 hands on handheld back straight white
The Samsung Galaxy S24 is getting one of the S25’s biggest video upgrades with One UI 7 – here’s why Log Video matters
AI fashion
I asked ChatGPT 4o, Gemini Live, and Siri what to wear, and only one could really help me look my best