James Gunn Says a ‘Polka-Dot Man’ Prequel Series Has Been Discussed for the DCU

Of all the oddball characters in James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’, few surprised audiences as much as Polka-Dot Man. Gunn has admitted he picked the character because he showed up when he searched for the dumbest supervillains, describing him as one of the dumbest characters ever.

In Gunn’s hands, though, David Dastmalchian’s Abner Krill became something much more tragic. His mother, a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist, experimented on him and his siblings in hopes of creating superheroes, infecting them with an interdimensional virus that killed some of the children and left Abner traumatized and forced to expel his dots twice a day.

Now Gunn has revealed that Abner’s tragic backstory could be explored further. On the new DC Studios podcast about whether ‘The Suicide Squad’ is part of DCU canon, he said there have been discussions about a prequel series centered on Abner’s mother and her many super-powered children.

Gunn made it clear the idea is not in active development. Still, he confirmed it has been talked about, saying it would be interesting to see what happened to the rest of Abner’s family and what they were like back then.

James Gunn reveals that a ‘POLKA-DOT MAN’ prequel series has been discussed, which would focus on “his mother & her many superhero children.” “It’s not in active development, but we talked about it.” https://t.co/JE3DfGlwPm

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 29, 2026

He also reflected on his choice to make Polka-Dot Man the darkest and saddest character in the film. That emotional depth is a big part of why fans have stayed so attached to the character.

The podcast is focused on a long-running question among DC fans: does ‘The Suicide Squad’ count in Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe? Gunn, joined by co-hosts Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee, answered that it does.

"So this is the famous Suicide Squad" Watch the brand new trailer for James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, coming to theaters and HBO Max on August 6. https://t.co/ad1aYf4X4f

— IGN (@IGN) March 26, 2021

Gunn even described it as the first canon film in the DCU. The main exception he noted is the future of Harley Quinn, which remains unresolved, and he said he isn’t sure whether Margot Robbie will return to the role.

He also shared a few other fun details, including his belief that Idris Elba’s Bloodsport once shot David Corenswet’s Superman with a Kryptonite bullet. According to reports, Spotify accidentally posted the hour-long episode early as the podcast’s trailer, a day before its planned release.

A show about Abner’s family would fit neatly into Gunn’s approach to DC storytelling. His projects often take forgotten or ridiculous characters and give them surprising emotional weight, as he did with Polka-Dot Man himself.

Exploring the experiments that shaped the Krill children could add a darker, more personal corner to the DCU. It would also give the world of ‘The Suicide Squad’ another chance to expand on screen.

‘The Suicide Squad’ only grossed $168.7 million worldwide, but its influence on the DCU has been enormous. The film led to 2 seasons of ‘Peacemaker’ and brought characters like Emilia Harcourt and Weasel into other projects, including ‘Creature Commandos’.

Gunn’s openness about the film’s canon status and its possible spinoffs shows how central it remains to his plans. Even characters who didn’t survive the film still have stories that could be told. For now, fans shouldn’t expect an announcement anytime soon. With the idea not in active development, it remains one of many concepts floating around DC Studios.

Even so, Gunn’s comments have given Polka-Dot Man fans plenty of hope. If the series ever moves forward, it could finally reveal the full story of the Krill family and the experiments that changed them forever.

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