Why Sol Soria From The Suicide Squad Looks So Familiar
With the release of "The Suicide Squad" in theaters and on HBO Max, audiences have been re-introduced to the colorful and violent world of Task Force X. Under the direction of James Gunn, DC characters who often go overlooked in the comics have finally earned a chance to step into the spotlight. This has paved the way for a number of fascinating villains to shine, but one of the film's few true heroes is a non-powered, gun-toting guerilla.
One of the only characters in "The Suicide Squad" guided by an uncorrupted moral compass, Sol Soria is a freedom fighter on a mission to bring peace and justice to her home of Corto Maltese. If she seems familiar, that's because she's portrayed by 38-year-old Brazilian actress Alice Braga. A common presence in the action and sci-fi genres in years leading up to "The Suicide Squad," Braga has a number of well-known IMDb credits that you may have seen her from. Let's dive into some of the key roles that she has taken on over the years.
Alice Braga appeared as Angélica in City of God
One of the earliest films that cinephiles may recognize Alice Braga from is 2002's "City of God." Directed by Fernando Meirelles, the Brazilian crime drama explores life in the infamous favelas through the eyes of their poor and desperate residents. In the film, Braga plays Angélica , a love interest to one of the film's main characters who tries to get him to leave his criminal life behind and live an honest life. Though very much a supporting role, Braga's performance as Angélica earned recognition among critics and likely helped catapult her to American films.
"City of God" made a huge splash when it debuted in 2002. Not only did it garner a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but it also quickly earned a reputation as one of the best films of this century. With all of those accolades, it's no wonder that Alice Braga eventually graduated to even bigger films as she progressed through her acting career.
She appeared opposite Will Smith as Anna in I Am Legend
One of Alice Braga's first forays into major blockbuster filmmaking came with the release of "I Am Legend" in 2007. A loose adaptation of Richard Matheson's sci-fi horror book of the same name, the film tells the story of a scientist named Robert Neville (Will Smith) who finds himself alone in New York as the (supposedly) last man alive on Earth. Immune from a disease that has turned most of humanity into vampires, Neville spends his days fighting for survival and looking for a cure to the pathogen.
A third-act character introduced in the back half of the film, Alice Braga plays Anna. One of the few humans left on Earth, Anna helps remind Neville of the importance of his mission and reinstalls his faith to keep fighting. Following Neville's heroic sacrifice at the end of the movie, Anna is gifted a sample of his blood to create a cure to the virus, hinting that Neville's work eventually will save humanity.
Braga was hunted in Predators
Though the "Predator" franchise often revolves around muscle-bound men and their accompanying machismo, Alice Braga got to take on the legendary intergalactic hunters in 2010's "Predators." This entry is very much disconnected from the continuity of the other films, and "Predators" tells the story of a group of soldiers, mercenaries, and killers dropped onto a mysterious planet to be hunted as big game. Braga portrays a character named Isabelle, an Israeli sniper haunted by guilt from a previous mission who tries to keep the peace between the more hot-headed members of the group.
In the years since "Predators" hit the big screen, the film has earned a reputation as an underrated entry in the franchise. The movie ends with a hint of future adventures for Isabelle alongside fellow survivor Royce (Adrien Brody). However, no direct sequel to "Predators" has officially been announced, and at this point, it appears that the franchise may have moved on to other avenues.
She portrayed Frey in Elysium
Alice Braga returned to the sci-fi franchise in 2013 under the direction of "District 9" filmmaker Neil Blomkamp for the dystopian action film, "Elysium." In the film, Braga portrays a character named Frey, a poor Earth woman who helps Max (Matt Damon) infiltrate a high-tech space station called Elysium to cure her daughter's leukemia. The film ends with Max dying to save the young girl, and Frey surviving to help other struggling people on Earth to the Elysium space station to have their diseases cured as well.
"Elysium" was highly anticipated among sci-fi fans waiting for a follow-up to "District 9." However, compared to its predecessor, "Elysium" underperformed at the box office. Despite the underwhelming box office, the film received praise among some critics and Neil Blomkamp has come out in recent years and stated his intention to eventually return to the "Elysium" universe for a potential sequel. Whether or not that includes Braga as Frey remains to be seen.
Braga manipulated people in The New Mutants
At this point, it is fairly clear that Alice Braga is no stranger to films with science fiction and action components. That said, she's also no stranger to big-budget comic book adaptations, either. In fact, one of her most prominent roles in the run-up to "The Suicide Squad" was her performance as Dr. Reyes in 2020's "The New Mutants" under the direction of Josh Boon.
In the offshoot of the "X-Men" universe, Dr. Reyes is initially pitched as a benevolent scientist attempting to help a group of young mutants come to terms with their powers. However, the film slowly reveals that she has more sinister motives and plans for the up-and-coming heroes – making her quite the far cry from Sol Soria. "The New Mutants" underwent numerous reshoots and delays prior to its release in August 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic and is one of the final entries in the Fox "X-Men" world due to the Disney acquisition of the studio.
Those are just some of the films that you have likely seen Alice Braga in prior to her performance as Sol Soria. Knowing her knack for performing in genre films, there's no telling which franchise she could show up in next. For now, you can see her in "The Suicide Squad" in theaters and on HBO Max.