The Suicide Squad (2021) Ending Explained – Final Scene & Meaning

Ratcatcher 2 and her army of rats are the key to defeating Starro. The rats swarm across the creature's massive body, infiltrating its nervous system and damaging its vital organs from within. This internal attack is what ultimately kills the alien starfish, as Starro was vulnerable to the rodents burrowing into its internal structure.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the movie, Ratcatcher 2 demonstrates her control over rats during the jungle mission, establishing her as a formidable fighter in her own right.

• starro defeat
• ratcatcher 2
• final battle
• project starfish

Project Starfish was a secret US government operation that secretly experimented on the alien starfish creature. The government, in collaboration with Corto Maltese officials, had been attempting to weaponize extraterrestrial life. They used the chaos of the military coup as cover to hide their involvement, essentially kidnapping Starro from space and turning it into a weapon before the Suicide Squad arrived.

• project starfish
• government cover-up
• experiments
• cortro maltese

Just before being killed, Starro wistfully mentions that it was happily floating in space, staring at the stars. This comment reveals that Starro was originally a harmless, innocent creature minding its own business in the cosmos. The government's experiments turned it into a weapon against its will, adding tragic depth to the monster and suggesting it was more victim than villain.

• starro
• innocent
• space
• backstory

Bloodsport threatens to release evidence of the government's illegal experiments with Project Starfish to the public. This leverage forces Waller to agree to remove their explosive collars and grant them full immunity. When Waller attempts to betray them by trying to detonate the collars anyway, the squad fights back and escapes, leaving Waller powerless to stop them.

• waller
• immunity
• freedom
• bloodsport
• escape

Yes, Weasel survives. In the aftermath scene, he's seen coughing up water, indicating he somehow made it through the mission despite being left behind earlier. This confirms he lived through the final confrontation, though his exact survival method remains unclear.

• weasel
• alive
• survival
• ending

The post-credits scene reveals Peacemaker survived his injuries from the fight with Bloodsport. He's taken to a hospital where Waller's agents discuss concerns that he could be used as a weapon. This sets up his upcoming HBO Max spinoff series and confirms he's still alive despite being critically wounded.

• peacemaker
• post-credits
• spinoff
• hospital
• season 2

Starro was an extraterrestrial creature that originated from space, where it was peacefully floating before being captured. The US government somehow obtained the alien and secretly transported it to Corto Maltese, where they conducted experiments trying to weaponize it for military purposes. This explains why a massive alien starfish was being held on the island.

• starro alien
• origin
• space
• government

Waller orchestrated the entire mission to destroy Project Starfish, but her real goal was to cover up the US government's illegal experimentation on an alien creature. She used the Suicide Squad as disposable assets to eliminate the evidence, including the scientists and officials involved. When the team discovers the truth, Bloodsport threatens to expose everything, forcing Waller's hand.

• waller
• cover-up
• government
• experiments
• exposure

After forcing Waller to agree to immunity, she tries to remotely detonate the explosive collars anyway. The squad fights back against her operatives in the control room, disabling the detonation system and removing their collars. They then escape together, with Waller left unable to control them any longer.

• explosive collars
• escape
• Waller
• rebellion

The ending emphasizes the corrupt nature of government agencies like Waller's, which weaponize innocent beings and sacrifice innocent lives for political gain. Despite being criminals, the squad achieves an unlikely victory against a monster they didn't fully understand, while the real villains, the government officials behind Project Starfish, are exposed. The ending leaves room for future conflicts, particularly through Peacemaker's survival.

• message
• theme
• government corruption
• ending meaning