James Gunn Reveals a Twisted DCU Spinoff That Could Change the Origins of Familiar Characters

James Gunn has another wild idea for the DC Universe, and this one involves bringing back one of the strangest characters from The Suicide Squad.

The filmmaker revealed that DC Studios has discussed a potential spinoff centered on Polka-Dot Man’s twisted family history, and it could have some surprising connections to characters already established in the DCU.

The proposed series, possibly titled The Krills, would explore the family of Abner Krill, played by David Dastmalchian in The Suicide Squad. While Abner met a rather unfortunate end thanks to Starro, his family’s story could still have plenty of life left in it.

During an appearance on The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? The Official Podcast, Gunn explained that the idea would focus on Abner’s mother, a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist who performed horrific experiments on her own children in an attempt to turn them into superheroes.

Gunn explained that the series “would be about (Polka-Dot Man’s) mother and their many superhero children. So it’s been discussed, that’s not in active development, but we’ve talked about it because I think it would be interesting to see what happened to the rest of his family. Where did they go, what were they like back then?”

That sounds like a pretty messed-up superhero family drama, which could make for a great DC series. But Gunn also dropped another interesting detail about how the Krill family might connect to the larger DCU.

He teased, “I may have other people that I think are Krills already in the DCU.”

That's where things get interesting. Gunn could potentially reveal that some familiar DCU characters are actually members of Abner's family, giving them entirely new backstories and connections that audiences never expected.

One possibility is Kaleidoscope, the colorful DC character who briefly appeared in The Suicide Squad. Her unusual appearance makes her an interesting candidate, although Gunn hasn't confirmed anything.

There’s also room to connect the Krill family to characters whose histories haven't been fully explored. Could someone like John Economos have a surprising family connection? It's just speculation, but Gunn's comment opens the door to some fun possibilities.

Polka-Dot Man was originally introduced in DC Comics in 1962 by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff under the name Mr. Polka Dot. His gimmick involved removing colorful spots from his costume and turning them into various gadgets and weapons.

He was about as ridiculous as comic book villains get, which is exactly why Gunn wanted him in The Suicide Squad. The filmmaker previously explained that he chose the character after discovering he was considered “the dumbest DC character of all time.”

The character has also appeared in projects such as The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries, Teen Titans Go!, and Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, but Gunn gave him a much darker origin for his live-action debut.

In the film, Abner's mother infected him with an interdimensional virus that caused explosive, glowing polka dots to grow inside his body. He had to regularly vomit them out until he developed specialized gauntlets that allowed him to use the dots as weapons.

His childhood left him severely traumatized, and a deleted scene revealed that he eventually killed his mother. Despite everything he endured, Abner finally got his chance to become a hero during the battle against Starro, only to be crushed moments later.

A series about the Krill family could explore what happened to his siblings, whether they developed their own powers, and how their mother's experiments shaped their lives.

Since the story would take place before the events of The Suicide Squad, Gunn wouldn't have to resurrect Abner or his mother to make it work. It could also provide an opportunity to introduce another version of Polka-Dot Man into the present-day DCU.

Gunn has already carried elements of The Suicide Squad into his new DC continuity, particularly through Peacemaker and the continuing impact of Rick Flag Jr.'s death. Exploring the Krills would be another way to build on those connections while introducing some unexpected family relationships.

Of course, The Krills isn't officially in development. Gunn made it clear that it's simply an idea that has been discussed at DC Studios.

Still, a superhero family created through disturbing scientific experiments sounds like material Gunn could have a lot of fun with, especially if some of those children have been hiding in plain sight throughout the DCU.

Would you be interested in a Polka-Dot Man family spinoff, and which established DC characters do you think could secretly be members of the Krill family?