An updated version of Steely Dan's early single "Dirty Work" highlights the debut trailer for James Gunn's upcoming supervillain film The Suicide Squad.

The original track dates back to 1972's Can't Buy a Thrill, exemplifying the smooth, keyboard-heavy sound of the band's debut LP. But it's also an oddity in their catalog: Fronted by briefly tenured vocalist David Palmer, it's one of only a few classic-era Steely Dan tunes not sung by Donald Fagen.

The version here appears to be have been tweaked for the purposes of a high-octane film trailer, with the electric piano and stacked harmonies eventually drowned out by massive strings and digital-sounding percussion.

It's an appropriate choice, thematically: The movie, a semi-sequel to 2016's Suicide Squad, follows a group of convicts assembled by the government to complete life-threatening missions in exchange for lightened prison stints.

"You know the deal — successfully complete the mission, you get 10 years off your sentence," explains Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), leader of the Task Force X Program. "You fail to follow my orders in any way and I detonate the explosive device in the base of your skull."

The trailer previews the upcoming film's blend of R-rated raunch and modern superhero exploits, balancing explosions and ramped-up action sequences with jokes about eating "a big bag of dicks." Watch the clip below.

The movie, which hits theaters and HBO Max on Aug. 6, also stars Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Pete Davidson and the voice of Sylvester Stallone among its all-star cast.

 

Steely Dan Albums Ranked

More From Classic Rock 105.1