Looks like the heartwarming gore-fest known as James Gunn's The Suicide Squad has inched just ever more closely to the heartwarming side of things thanks to David Dastmalchian. Don't worry, that doesn't mean the glorious and bloody rampages of dad bod King Shark are going anywhere. Though Ratcatcher 2's little buddy Sebastian may want to watch his back.
As shockingly visceral and occasionally uncomfortable as parts of The Suicide Squad might be, that seems to only make those little moments of genuine heart and serenity only that much more impactful. Just like the flashbacks to Taika Waititi's classic Ratcatcher and Nanaue meeting some "new dumb friends," these reprieves from the more messy stuff actually exist outside of the movie itself. Just ask Dastmalchian, who plays the newly reinvented but still often baffling Polka-Dot Man. As if his portrayal of the unhinged wannabe superhero wasn't endearing enough, he cranked it up to 11 by adopting a cat that just wandered on to set.
Dastmalchian just so happened to find a stray cat while filming The Suicide Squad in Panama, and apparently simply adopting the little fuzzball wasn't enough. Not only did he give the kitty a new home and a name (fittingly called Abner Bubblegum Polka Dot Cat after his character, though he just calls her "Bubblegum"), but she apparently also captured the hearts of the other folks involved in the film. As these things go, Bubblegum was gifted her own custom-made outfit inspired by Dastmalchian's own Polka-Dot Man suit, created from scratch by The Suicide Squad costume designer Judianna Makovsky. Luckily for the rest of humanity, he posted plenty of pictures.
Posting the images to Instagram, Dastmalchian has graced the world with some of the most adorable shots one could ever imagine related to a film that contains an alarming number of dismemberments. It's obviously difficult to tell just from still photos, but there seems to be a genuine bond between man and cat, with a clearly blissful Dastmalchian and a feline who isn't actively trying to claw her way out of her new outfit. Hey, that's probably the most surefire way to know a cat isn't angry.
It looks as though the whole rescue of Bubblegum was a group effort, as mentioned in Dastmalchian's caption. Hey, it's practically a rule that every cute cat needs its own Instagram post. "With the help of my @thesuicidesquad family & some generous animal lovers in Panama, I was able to rescue Bubblegum (full name: Abner Bubblegum Polka Dot Cat). She has been a blessing to our family & was instrumental in helping us through the pandemic. Please adopt, don’t shop, and spay/neuter your pets. (costume by Judianna Makovsky). Thank you, @jamesgunn!"
Not only did he adopt a cute little mini-gremlin, but The Suicide Squad star used his platform to advocate for animal rescues and practicing responsible care for one's pets. Bob Barker would be proud. If nothing else, this proves that he truly is the superhero Polka-Dot Man always wanted to be.
The Suicide Squad is now playing in theaters and on HBO Max.
Source: David Dastmalchian/Instagram