Sylvester Stallone confirmed to be playing a walking, talking shark in The Suicide Squad

Back in 2020, Sylvester Stallone was announced to be in The Suicide Squad but his role was a mystery. With the release of the first trailer, however, we know exactly who the iconic actor is playing – and it's King Shark, that massive, flesh-eating fish.

The actor, as well as director James Gunn, have both confirmed Stallone's role on Twitter. "OK shark coming your way! The new THe Suicide Squad Is thundering your way! August 8," Stallone wrote, with Gunn releasing the character's poster.

King Shark looks very friendly – and dare we say cuddly – in his poster, but the trailer shows him as a particularly carnivorous creature, gobbling up one person and tearing another in two. Previously it was thought Steve Agee was portraying the shark. The actor has a role as John Economos in The Suicide Squad, whom he will also play in the upcoming HBO Max spinoff Peacemaker, starring John Cena as the title character (reprising his role from the movie).

Gunn has already warned that DC didn't protect any of the characters in the film so as The Suicide Squad's tagline goes, "don't get too attached" to this adorable, albeit violent, shark.

The trailer promises a fun-filled few hours with explosions, jokes-a-plenty, and, of course, lots of Harley Quinn, everyone's favorite clown gal, played by Margot Robbie. The cast is absolutely star-studded, including Idris Elba, frequent Gunn collaborator Michael Rooker, and familiar faces from the previous Suicide Squad like Viola Davis' Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flag, and Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang. Plus, villainous starfish-alien Starro appears to have landed in the DCEU – so whatever happens in this movie, it's bound to be wild.

The Suicide Squad arrives August 6, 2021, in theaters and simultaneously on HBO Max in the US. Until then, check out how to watch DC movies in order to get all caught up with the ultimate movie marathon.