No one ever dies in comic books. Well, they might die but they don’t stay that way. There is one big exception. Suicide Squad is pretty much DC’s Expendables —  if the Expendables ever died in those movies. Isn’t it weird that they never do? Anyway, we at Pop-Break got together and made some predictions considering the fate of some of our favorite members of Task Force X. Specifically, we look at which characters we think are most likely to meet their maker. Here are our four potentials and one absolute certainty. Feel free to make fun of us when we’re inevitably wrong.

Captain Boomerang (DJ Chapman) 

Oh Captain, my Captain! While DC has done a good job of showcasing other characters, I’m afraid our friend Boomerang has been left on the outskirts. I’ve talked to my non-comicbook friends (heathens) about which Suicide Squad characters they can name or describe off the top of their head and the list usually goes: Harley Quinn, Will Smith, Fire Guy, Big Lizard, Girl with Sword, and Witch. Never do I get: Guy in Trench-coat, Australian Man, or Jai Courtney.

DC has been stingy when it comes to decent clips of Captain Boomerang and I think it’s because they’re going to let us down easy. Digger will be loved from jump. From punching a dude, to drinking some beer (probably Fosters), to taunting Diablo, he’s going to be a revelation. And audiences will respond well, especially since he’s likely going to be playing defense AGAINST the Squad. Enjoy him while he lasts because, unlike a boomerang, he probably won’t be coming back around.

Rick Flag (Dan Cohen) 

All of the Suicide Squad marketing has rightfully been focused on Deadshot, The Joker, and Harley Quinn (who might be the most hyped break out character in the history of cinema). There’s no question the squad’s handler will also be a primary player but in a film filled with flashy super villains, you don’t exactly want to market your film around the guy named Rick Flag.  That’s exactly why he’ll get the axe.

Tom Hardy was originally supposed to play Flag but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. The fact that he nearly got the role shows the importance of the character.  Going from Hardy to Joel Kinnaman is certainly a downgrade, but that’s no knock on Kinnaman.  He carried the Robocop remake.  From what I gather,  Flag is a token military agent who was in the original Suicide Squad comics (or was it his father or grandfather?) and functions as the straight man on the team of nutballs.  As leader of the squad, he’ll be driving the narrative quite a bit. Problem is, we don’t see much of him in the trailer doing things besides spouting exposition and scowling.  He looks annoyed in every frame.  I would be too.  It’s like dealing with a bunch of misbehaved children at a candy factory.

David Ayer has been adamant that the Suicide Squad isn’t a bunch of lovable anti-heroes, a la Guardians of the Galaxy.  It’s normal villains against really, reeeeeeally evil villains and as the non villain of the team, Flag will be the best of the bunch.  This leads me to expect a scenario in which Flag makes a huge sacrifice.  It also goes back to what I said earlier about centering your franchise around the guy named Rick Flag.  It’s a lock this movie is going to make bags of cash.  We’re getting Suicide Squad 2.  But is Rick Flag really the rock to build your franchise on?  Nope.  He’ll be replaced by Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke in the sequel.  Lock it up.

Crazy prediction time – Amanda Waller kills him for insubordination.  Why not?

Diablo (Matt Kelly)

As a pretty big DC fan, I know a fair amount about the squad and it’s usual members. Deadshot has been around forever. Harley might as well have been the second lead on the Batman Animated Series. Croc was part of the best Arkham Asylum level. Rick Flag exists. And Captain Boomerang is my favorite DC villain.

[Fun Fact: In the comics, Boomerang loved to play pranks on the Squad and they got so tired of it, they exiled him to a deserted island. When they eventually came to the island to get him, Digger was constructing a giant boomerang that he was going to use to escape. It demonstrated not only an admirable devotion to his gimmick but more importantly a fundamental misunderstanding of how boomerangs work because if his plan succeeded, the boomerang would promptly return him to the island.]

So even with my extensive DC knowledge, I have never even heard of Diablo. If you told me that they made him up for the movie, I’d believe you. So if a squad member is going to die, and one will, why wouldn’t it be the one no one is going to miss? Now, I have faith that Diablo will have his moment. He seems like the type of villain who is filled with pathos and in desperate need of redemption. It will be a literal blaze of glory. Hopefully I’m wrong. I think Diablo could be a more fun character to build up than, say Killer Croc. But I have a strong feeling that the squad’s hot head is going to be extinguished.

Deadshot (Bill Bodkin)

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching countless “team movies” it’s this: someone is going to die, and that death is going to be big. Sure, a couple of side characters might meet their maker (looking at you, Slipknot), but there’s always that one MASSIVE death. Think about it. In classics like Dirty Dozen, Armageddon, and Saving Private Ryan, someone that is the heart and soul of this film gets killed. It shatters your entire being. That’s why Deadshot is doomed. Smith’s the above the title star of the film. He’s portraying what looks like a core emotional figure. So it makes sense that The Fresh Prince will perish.

From a practical standpoint, I just can’t see Will Smith attached to another franchise. He’s signed up for not one, but TWO Bad Boys sequels. There’s rumors of that weird Men in Black/21 Jump Street cross-over. I can’t see him tied to a DCEU property for a long run. Look at everyone in MCU films. They’re pretty much just doing Marvel movies for the rest of their lives unless they’re Aaron Taylor Johnson. He’s got some free time. Will Smith is too big of a star to be just “one of the gang” in a DC film. And if even without Smith, it looks like they’ve got tons of memorable characters to support 2 Suicide 2 Squad.

Slipknot (People With Eyes) 

Every Suicide Squad outing needs a moron who goes rogue and gets his head blown off. It has to happen to solidify the stakes. That character will almost definitely be Slipknot, some sort of rope themed batvillain that is so obscure Batman probably forgets his name and just calls him “pal.” Not only has he tried to make a break for it in the comics but he paid a high price, his arm, which you assume is important for rope based crimes. He is in a grand total of two trailer scenes and in one, he attempts to escape. So yeah. Sorry Adam Beach.