DC Comics
Warner Bros. and DC Comics are coming out swinging, having snagged a pipe dream level cast of names for their upcoming Suicide Squad movie, the kind of talent that, yes, should make Marvel just a little uncomfortable. The studio aimed high for the David Ayer feature, and although rumors have abounded for entire weeks that names like Will Smith, Jared Leto and Margot Robbie would ultimately sign on for the film, we’ll admit it, we were skeptical.
Hey, we were wrong, because Warner Bros. has now announced their official cast for the bad-guys-do-good feature, and it’s crammed with top-tier talent, including one of the biggest stars on the planet, an Oscar winner, a bunch of rising stars, and also Jai Courtney (we’re kidding, we like the son of John McClane plenty). But even though everyone knows who Will Smith is, you might still be scratching your head over Robbie or Cara Delevingne or, God forbid, Tom Hardy. Let’s fix that.
Will Smith (Deadshot)
Of course you know who Will Smith is – you do know who Will Smith is, right? – but the superstar has definitely laid off the big screen roles in recent years. His last starring role was in After Earth, a 2013 box office bomb that didn’t do much to force the narrative that Jaden Smith is a movie star. Since then, Big Willie Style has peppered his resume with smaller roles – including a bizarre supporting turn in the also bizarre Winter’s Tale and a cameo in Anchorman 2 – but the guy appears to be coming back in a big, big way. We’ll next see him in Focus (starring alongside newly minted Suicide Squad co-star Margot Robbie), and he’s currently filming the untitled NFL concussion drama. Smith is also rumored to be up for a number of other projects, including a new Hancock and Bad Boys. He’s back, baby! And now he is also a supervillain!
So who is Deadshot? A hired assassin who is mainly a foe of Batman, he’s an expert marksman with a techy eye who never misses. He’s got a twisted, sad backstory (he accidentally killed his beloved brother while trying to off his evil dad) and a wanton disregard for human life. Fun!
Jared Leto (The Joker)
Leto is notoriously choosy about his big screen roles, and his turn in Suicide Squad will be his first new role post-Oscar win. In fact, taking on a superhero movie is kind of the most mainstream move that Leto has made when it comes to his cinematic career, but given his chops, he’ll likely aim to make his Joker very much his own.
And, yes, Leto has some competition – Heath Ledger’s Joker reinvented the character, and the late actor won a posthumous Oscar for his work. There’s certainly a legacy here, but casting Leto – again, another Oscar winner – in the role signals that Ayer, WB and DC are taking this seriously. The classic Batman baddie has plenty of shades to illuminate (and jokes to share).
Tom Hardy (Rick Flag)
Hardy is our next big action star hopeful, with soulfulness to spare. Between Bronson and the upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road, Hardy has displayed a big range and some big muscles. The British actor has yet to snag an Oscar nomination, but it doesn’t seem too far off. We’ll next see him in said Mad Max movie, and he’s currently filming The Revenant with Leonardo DiCaprio, which is about a goddamn bear mauling. Yessss.
And, oh yeah, the DC universe isn’t a foreign one to him, as he memorably (if not for the right reasons) played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. “Maahghghhhhhdoyouthinkyoureincontrolbrahahghhhhhmmmm,” says Bane. Fortunately, Rick Flag doesn’t have a giant goddamn thing on his face, and Hardy will likely get the opportunity to actually enunciate in his new role. What a world! The Rick Flag legacy is strong – there are actually three of them! grandfather, father, son! – and it’s unclear which incarnation Hardy will play in the film. The first two Flags are both members of the Suicide Squad, but here’s hoping it’s Flag the second, because his origin story involves an actual Yeti. Unlike the rest of the squad, Flag is a good dude who is eventually tasked with heading up the team, a role he’s not super into.
Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn)
You surely recognize Robbie from her star-making turn in The Wolf of Wall Street, and the dazzling Aussie actress is now eagerly racking up solid roles in a variety of films. We’ll next see her alongside Smith in Focus, but she’s also got parts in Tarzan and Z for Zachariah to keep her busy. She’s true leading lady material, and that she’d take on such a wacky and multifaceted role as Harley Quinn speaks well of her taste.
Harley Quinn is a tremendous amount of fun – girlfriend and sidekick to Joker, a disgraced former psychologist, Poison Ivy’s best pal – and Robbie can tear right into her.
Jai Courtney (Boomerang)
Will this be the role that turns Courtney into a real action star? The guy has been trying to make it happen for awhile, snapping up good-ish roles in A Good Day to Die Hard, Jack Reacher, the Divergent series and the upcoming Terminator reboot. Still, he needs a breakout, and something like Suicide Squad could be just the ticket.
Boomerang – or Captain Boomerang, if you’re fancy – is a traditional Flash villain (there’s also another Boomerang, the first’s son, but Courtney is believed to be playing the first incarnation in the film) who uses boomerangs to commit crimes. Really. Although he’s not imbued with actual powers, he’s got those wily boomerangs (and a bad attitude), which sounds both kinda fun and really scary.
Cara Delevigne (Enchantress)
The British model has steadily been making her way into the cinematic realm, and with a few supporting roles under her belt, she’s about to take on a star-making role in Paper Towns, the next film from The Fault In Our Stars author John Green. After that, she’s all in on the superhero action, showing a big range that few actresses are willing to flaunt so early in their careers.
The spell-casting Enchantress has appeared throughout DC’s history (she was originally a National Comics character), and the witchy superstar will bring a level of magic to the team that no one else possesses. Even better? She’s constantly conflicted about which side she falls on – good or evil.
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Suicide Squad will open in 2016.