A new crop of names are being linked for roles in David Ayer's Suicide Squad via JoBlo.
It looks like there is a fifth actor being looked at for the role of Rick Flagg, and it's Dredd himself Karl Urban. You might remember it was only a couple of days ago that Karl was being linked for the villain role in Aquaman. I'm sure we could be hearing even more actors but Karl is an interesting addition to the mix of names.
I have my own thoughts why so many actors are passing on this part.
The role of Flagg was originally alluring to Tom Hardy before the part was scaled back in Ayer's rewrites and the role could be a lot more minor than people are expecting it to be. Basically, they're looking at big names but the part doesn't seem to have enough bite to attract the level of actors they want for it.
Flagg could also be off-putting to a lot of these candidates mostly because it could kill their shot at a leading superhero franchise. Marvel usually avoids casting actors who have been apart of DC films and taking the role could nix franchise potential in the DC side as well.
Again, from what I've been hearing Flagg might not even be in sequels, the role is pretty minor compared to the comics and this could be a tough sell to rising actors like Jake Gyllenhaal (already passed), Jon Bernthal and even Joel Edgerton.
Tom, Jake and Joel had been linked for Marvel Studios franchise leads, so it's unlikely we'd see them taking DC scraps which Flagg is starting to look like.
JoBlo is affirming talk that Deathstroke is indeed in the film but won't be on the actual team.
Joe Manganiello is said to the Ayer's first choice as he previously worked with Ayer on Sabotage.
Aussie Jason Clarke is also being considered for the role.
It's not hard to see why the studio would want to have Clarke play the role having a huge breakout hit with Dawn of the Planet of The Apes last summer. He's also playing the new John Connor this year in Terminator: Genisys opposite Captain Boomerang's Jai Courtney.
The role itself could end-up becoming one of the more important characters moving forward into the DCCU, as there is crossover potential with the Batman films along with a solo film which had been developed and produced by David Goyer (Blade, Batman Begins).
Other actors such as Ed Harris (The Rock, A History of Violence, Enemy At The Gates), Gary Sinise (Forest Gump) and Max Martini (Sabotage, Pacific Rim, The Unit) are linked for roles but those are considered spoilers, feel free to check out the link to have some of the film's plot ruined.
Production is expected to begin in April at Pinewood Studios, Toronto with a release date of August 5th, 2016.
There's a whole heap of casting rumors concerning Suicide Squad coming out online today.
The first one comes from Cinema Blend, who are saying that actors Joel Edgerton (Exodus, Zero Dark Thirty, Warrior, The Great Gatsby) and Jon Bernthal (Fury, Wolf of Wall Street, Walking Dead) are in the mix to replace Tom Hardy as Rick Flagg.
Out of the two I'd say Bernthal is the better fit since he worked with director David Ayer in Fury and co-starred with Margot Robbie in Warner Bros' The Wolf of Wall Street. Plus, he's been a much more consistent actor than Joel and Flagg could be right for him.
Jake Gyllenhaal had been offered the role recently but passed on it, and I don't blame him. It's been said the role has been cutdown a lot from Ayer's rewrites and likely won't have as much screen time as other characters in the film.
Joe almost played Superman and Batman, might as well play Deathstroke.
Another mysterious rumor via The Playlist is suggesting that Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike, True Blood, Sabotage, Spider-Man) is up for the role of Deathstroke, there had been rumors the character was in the film but nothing has been confirmed or reported by major outlets.
Joe is a bit different than the other names mentioned here since the actor did on the recommendation of director Zack Snyder did test for both Superman and Batman roles. He also previously worked with David Ayer on the Arnold Schwarzenegger action flick Sabotage.
We know that David Goyer (Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Blade, Man of Steel, Metal Gear Solid) had penned a Deathstroke movie and had planned on producing the film too, so it would be a role that could turn into it's own franchise.
The last one comes from Latino Review, who wasn't confident enough with this rumor to post it on their site but tweeted-out that Gary Sinise (Forest Gump, Snake Eyes) is said to be in talks for the role of General Eiling.
UNCONFIRMED TWITTER RUMOR: Pending more concrete sourcing, I hear Gary Sinise supposedly in talks to join SUICIDE SQUAD as GENERAL EILING.
— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe) January 22, 2015
It was only a few weeks ago we were talking about when we could be expecting a news about a solo Batman film and we've got our first hint via Forbes. The outlet is known for mostly financial and business stories has started getting into the world of comic book film reporting.
They are now stating the reason Joker is in Suicide Squad isn't just to help setup Harley Quinn's character but also lead into a new Batman film as well. Stating his escape would eventually be tied into the next solo outing which is said to be heavily influenced by The Dark Knight Returns comic by Frank Miller.
The comic is already heavily influencing Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice but likely won't have all the material gobbled-up since it needs to include Superman, Lex Luthor and Wonder Woman in major roles. This could mean a lot of the Batman centric stuff could be saved for another film.
Adding that Batman is likely to make an appearance in David Ayer's Suicide Squad to help boost that film's connection to the rest of the DC Comics slate. The assumption being that Joker will indeed be apart of the new Batman film in a bigger way than Suicide Squad.
It's been reported by Latino Review that Joker is less of a leading role and is more a Hannibal Lecter- like figure being more of a cameo than actually a lead. Those two roles are being filled by Will Smith's Deadshot and Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn.
Rick Flagg fans might be shocked to learn his role in the film is being greatly scaled back and won't be as large as fans had expected it be.
I wouldn't have given too much thought to this news but it's coming from Forbes who has been getting some pretty big scoops concerning the DC Comics film franchises.
I'd love to see these guys replace The Mutants.
What could this film look like if it's indeed inspired by Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns comic?
First off, I don't think we'll be seeing the comic version of the mutants gang but I could see them being altered to become aligned with The Joker. The mutant angle was sort of used in The Dark Knight Rises with Bane's army of mercenaries and street kids.
However, I could see them changing the punk street gang to be more linked to the Joker and Harley Quinn similar to what we saw in the Arkham games. Using the street gang aspect seems something we really haven't see as a major factor in the recent Batman films. Having them rival other gangs and even put the fear of god into Gotham's crime families could be interesting to explore.
Joker's role will likely be beef-up from what is was in Returns which was just him on a murder spree after escaping at television studio. I would expect him to be a main protagonist of the film, possibly along with Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn.
They didn't hire Oscar winner Jared Leto to only appear in Suicide Squad with a small role, they obviously have bigger plans for the character. While I felt he could be apart of the Justice League films he's too damn unpredictable to work with others. Placing him in a new Batman film post-Suicide Squad honestly makes the most sense to me.
I don't expect to see an adaptation to be so slavishly connected to the source material, which was one of the biggest issues people had with Zack Snyder's Watchmen. Basically, being a shot-for-shot copy of the comic book.
Taking true inspiration and making it's own beast could be way to really make the film stand apart from the comic, but still have those connections to it.
Barbara Gordon is just as likely as Carrie Kelley.
It was confirmed that actress Jena Malone would be taking a role in Batman v Superman but it was never announced who she would be playing. Speculations and rumors have suggested she could be playing Carrie Kelley who is the female Robin in Returns.
Her new red hair seemed to be a bit of give-away, but does that mean she could only be playing Carrie in the film?
We know that Carrie isn't the only redhead in DC Comics and isn't even the most famous redhead in among the Batman characters. I'm not entirely sure it's 100% Jena is Kelley since we've seen Batgirl production art making the rounds online from concept artist Jock (Dredd), so Jena playing a version of Barbara Gordon isn't impossible either.
Why I think Batgirl could equally be an option for Malone is that she hasn't been established in ages but has a strong connection to the Joker and one of his most iconic stories.
I wouldn't be entirely shocked to see Alan Moore's (Watchmen) Joker comic The Killing Joke being used to help increase the Joker's story in the film.The Dark Knight really only focused on his escape and murder spree during a television interview.
In Killing Joke, the Joker escapes Arkham to torment Jim Gordon and paralyses his daughter Barbara. After those events she becomes The Oracle an important and horrific moment for the character's evolution.
Both Returns and Killing Joke share a similar setting of a amusement park, and could easily be combined into one single script.
It's known that Joker famously killed Jason Todd, the second Robin who eventually returns alive as the vigilante The Red Hood. Taking the name of the Joker's original name as his own. Carrie Kelley is begrudgingly given the Robin mantle by Batman who is still grieving for Jason's murder by The Joker. As it's established in Returns that Todd has been killed.
I could also see them combining Carrie Kelley and Barbara Gordon into one character, since the former isn't as well established as Gordon. Perhaps, taking up the Robin mantle only to move on to become Batgirl and go on her own taking cues from Nightwing.
There are many ways this movie could go since there are plenty of solid Joker stories to be used for the script. They might as well fire on all cylinders if this is indeed going to have the Joker as the baddie. We have enough unused Joker stories that could come together to give fans one badass and grim as hell take on the character. I wouldn't even dismiss the idea of it cutting back between present day and flashback scenes.
It's still really early at this point but if I had to take guesses at titles they could go with The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: The Killing Joke or just The Batman. Again, I still believe Warner Bros. could release the film before 2020 but it all depends on Ben Affleck.
BVS is expected to look a lot more like Watchmen visually than Man of Steel, thanks to cinematographer Larry Fong reuniting with Snyder for the film.
I know Zack Snyder is going to be a busy bee with two Justice League films about to shoot back-to-back but I'd love to see him and Larry Fong (Batman v Superman, Watchmen) take a crack at this material. Snyder has hinted for years he'd love to turn The Dark Knight Returns in a film, it could be nice to follow through with adapting the rest of the comic on screen.
I highly recommend picking up those comics along with watching the two-part animated film based on The Dark Knight Returns which is currently on Netflix.
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Tom Hardy has essentially dropped out of David Ayer's Suicide Squad vacating the role of Rick Flagg.
Hardy originally signed onto the role alongside Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jared Leto as The Jocker, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang and more recently Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. It's expected we could even more DC Comics rogues in the film including Jesse Eisnberg's Lex Luthor.
Jake got ripped for Soutpaw.
Apparently, scheduling has become a bit of an issue as the shoot will conflict with his other project The Revenant.
Along with his promotional press tour for Mad Max Fury Road that would be happening at the same time as the film would be shooting in Toronto.
That is seemingly a bigger priority as it's being directed by Birdman's Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and would see Hardy reunite with his Inception co-star Leonardo DiCaprio. Birdman just earned nine Academy Award nominations so any project coming from Inarritu is going to have major heat. I guess you can't blame Hardy for chasing an awards-level movie like Revenant.
The studio has sent out an offer to actor Jake Gyllenhaal and they are interested in him taking over the role of Rick Flagg but it's unknown at this point if he'll take it.
Considering his fan-favorite performance in last year's Nightcrawler and his upcoming boxing pic Southpaw, I'm sure fans would embrace this recasting. Jake also previously worked with Ayer on the L.A. cop drama End of Watch.
Jake also played a convincing serial killer in The Shoes' music video for Time To Dance.
The blogging world seemingly lost it's mind last week when a viral image popped-up and gave the impression that Batman v Superman was going to be split into two films. An aspect that didn't seem impossible at the time as the film's shoot was a lengthly one. Even though the itself image could have been easily faked by anyone on the internet and it's origin should make it automatically suspect.
For a moment let's humor the idea of a secret Batman film coming out in October, why would Warner Bros. hide this from fans?
Warner Bros. is gambling big with Batman v Superman, pitting their developing cinematic franchise against Marvel's established one. A lot of things could go wrong and totally mess-up their plans, as their announced DC Comics movie slate is 100% happening at this point. Some films could get replaced by others or could be place-holders for WB establishing release dates early. A tactic we've seen Marvel Studios use to their advantage recently. Although, Marvel isn't announcing films unless they are sure they're getting made to meet those dates.
Announcing a Batman centric film would greatly help establish this new shared universe. Let's be honest, Wayne is the most important hero in the DC ranks currently. Yet, they decided on making this precursor to Justice League a priority. I highly doubt this split was anything more than a fan's wet-dream.
We had heard that originally a bulk of the shoot would focus around Bruce Wayne and Batman's exploits that didn't involve the other heroes. This was likely from David Goyer's script before it's major overhaul by Argo's Chris Terrio. Frank Miller's comic The Dark Knight Returns is heavily influencing the film which had Batman as the centric character so this wasn't too shocking. The two Batman suits we've seen are also direct designs from Dark Knight Returns. I have assume the rewrites from Mr. Terrio were to include the other three heroes into the Miller inspired story.
It's been confirmed we'll be seeing Batman's origin yet again as Jeffrey Dean Morgan will be playing Thomas Wayne in the film. Director Zack Snyder is indeed putting his stamp on the new Batman franchise. An aged-up Batman is also apart of the film's story having him grizzled and working behind the scenes for a long time. Another call-back to Miller's comic that supports claims the film could lean more towards Batman.
However, Badass Digest being familiar with the film's script pointed-out there wasn't enough in it to suggest a two film split. The mid-point of the film is a fight between Batman and Superman which according to them this isn't big enough to be used as a final act. While the final action scene of the film would likely overshadow that tiff in the middle. This is somewhat more proof that a split isn't going to happen.
If the script wasn't weighted enough why would Warner Bros. would try turning a risky film like this into two parts?.
We've seen big films turned into two parts as a trend with Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Avengers: Infinity War and Justice League. The ones getting split-up are from well established movie franchises and even by the time JL comes out we'll be three films into the new DC cinematic universe.
My biggest issue being that Dawn of Justice is already a risky premise since they're setting-up three other heroes in the film with Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Cyborg. There isn't much point to ruin the film by cutting it off and having it become this sprawling two-parter. Since it's actually more or less our introduction to this new shared world Zack Snyder has created.
Superman himself Henry Cavill has just confirmed to Variety that the film indeed will be released as one film and two as the recent rumor suggested. While actors are usually compelled to put up a front to press, this seems a bit more substantial since this is a leading actor from the production and not some random person starting rumors.
This doesn't mean Warner Bros. isn't setting-up a solo Batman film down the road.
Suicide Squad is essentially setting up two major Batman villains in the film. Having the new Joker played by Jared Leto will likely have some sort of key connection to either Justice League or new Batman movie. Deadshot could also be prime candidate to be let lose on Gotham as a hired-gun. Harley Quinn is still a threat for Gotham but will likely be more tied to Suicide Squad, as some claim she could be the film's protagonist. While I believe that role will be shared between Will Smith's Deadshot and Margot Robbie's Quinn.
Basically in 2016, Warner Bros. will have established the new Batman, Gotham City and at least three of Batman's rogues. I have to assume they'll include more of them in Suicide Squad as it opens-the-door for a lot of villain cameos. This allows the studio to move forward with new movies as they'll have rebooted the film franchise without forcing those origin elements into a new installment, I'm sure fans like myself will be grateful for this move. Retelling origin stories aren't my jam and I'm kind of sick of them if they're well known or not re-imagined.
Warner Bros. isn't likely sitting around patiently waiting on this supposed 2019-2020 release date for a new Batman film. The last two films from Christopher Nolan earned a billion dollars each at the worldwide box office. Man of Steel was an improvement from Superman Returns but still only managed to muster $668M worldwide. Well-made Batman films are a license to print money and the studio isn't likely going to wait until 2020 to release the next one.
Yes, Ben Affleck is a busy man and will be going-off to direct his prohibition crime drama Live By Night soon. He's also attached to star in Gavin O'Connor's crime-centric The Accountant as well. At some point he'll have to return for the Justice League shoot expected to be even lengthier than Dawn of Justice as both films will be shot back-to-back.
There is a bit of speculation that Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting, The Town, Argo, Gone Baby Gone) could be the one to direct the next Batman film. This hasn't been confirmed but the two-time Oscar winner wouldn't be a terrible choice.
My assumption is that Warner Bros. will likely want a new solo film before 2020. The likelihood of that happening obviously is now dependent on Affleck's busy schedule.
ComicBookMovie has word from a Reddit user that claims to have been apart of a test-group at Warner Bros. for David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Revealing possible plot details of the film, which I will exclude here. One piece of information which was a major standout, Deathstroke is apparently apart of the film. This person also claims to have seen concept art for the villain as well.
We've been hearing rumblings for weeks that Deathstroke could be apart of the film. While nothing official or from our usual trusted channels have commented on this. I'm suspect of this, only because of the source, not because of likelihood of this happening. Deathstroke is an extremely popular villain, thanks to Arrow and the video game Arkham Origins. It doesn't hurt that he's also apart of the new Suicide Squad lineup in the comics. Harley Quinn didn't join the team until 2011, so they are including newer members for the film.
It should be noted that the original lineup for Suicide Squad in the Justin Marks script is drastically different than the current one reported by the trades. It's also possible that the film is still undergoing rewrites from David Ayer and lineup is still being adjusted. Test-groups could be there to help flush-out which characters should be changed or the direction of the film. Then again, this event might have never taken place.
One opinion I've heard makes the most sense here. That Tom Hardy's Rick Flagg could be a studio distraction and that character might actually be Deathstroke (or rewritten to become him). Flagg seems like an extremely obscure character for someone as big as Tom Hardy would play. Considering he's leading the hugely anticipated Mad Max: Fury Road and was being offered roles like Doctor Strange, Sandman in Sinister Six and lead role in X-Men Apocalypse. You'd expect his role in the film would be a lot bigger.
If you look at a majority of the lineup, they're mostly known and recognizable DC Comics characters. Flagg, for the most is only known to die-hard DC fans and likely wouldn't have the awareness that Deathstroke would. Plus, who wouldn't rather see Hardy play an iconic character like Deathstroke? We know that Hardy is able to pull off a role like this that could allow crossovers to other DC films, (Batman solo film or Supermax?).
LatinoReview is now reporting that Oscar winner Viola Davis is a lock for the role of Amanda Waller in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Davis was previously named alongside Oprah Winfery and Octavia Spencer as potential candidates for the role. Waller is a DC villain and government official who is the handler of the convict program The Suicide Squad. She'll be starring alongside Will Smith, Tom Hardy, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Jai Courtney and Cara Delevingne.
Viola was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for both for The Help and Doubt. Her other credits include films such as Prisoners, Solaris, Ender's Game, Law Abiding Citizen, Knight And Day and State of Play. Her next film will be the Michael Mann (Heat) cyber crime thriller Blackhat starring Chris Hemsworth. She's made a career playing these types of roles, so her casting makes all the sense in the world.
We're already reeling from the huge casting announcement concerning Suicide Squad, but it's not over yet. There are already rumblings of who the studio wants for the role of Amanda Waller. The ruthless government agent who runs the Suicide Squad program. According to Variety, the first choice is Oscar nominee Oprah Winfrey (Color Purple, Butler, Selma) but Oscar winners Viola Davis (The Help, Ender's Game, Doubt, Prisoners, Blackhat, Knight And Day, Law Abiding Citizen) and Octavia Spencer (Snowpiercer, The Help, Insurgent) are also on their radar.
I would be fine with any of these ladies in the role, but Viola Davis has played more characters like this and could be very convincing as the menacing Waller. Her experience in action films might make her a more suitable casting choice. However, like I've been saying on Twitter this role could end-up being similar to Tyler Perry's oddball casting in David Fincher's Gone Girl, only to become a highlight of the film.
Warner Bros. has made it official and has revealed a majority of the casting for David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Confirming that Oscar winning actor Jared Leto (Fight Club, Lord of War, Panic Room, Requiem For A Dream, Dallas Buyers Club) will indeed be playing our new Joker in the film. Along with Will Smith (Bad Boys, I, Robot, I Am Legend) taking the lead role of Deadshot, which I had been claiming since the first wave of casting news. DC alumni Tom Hardy (Mad Max Fury Road, Inception, Dark Knight Returns, RockNRolla) is playing Rick Flagg and Margot Robbie (Wolf of Wall Street, is indeed playing Harley Quinn.
Some outlets were claiming Aussie meat-head Jai Courtney (Die Hard 5, Terminator 5, Jack Reacher) was taking the lead part of Deadshot, that sounded insane to me considering his terrible acting track record. This announcement confirms he's actually playing volatile Aussie DC villain Harkness aka Captain Boomerang, perfect casting if you ask me.
In an extremely odd move on the part of Warner Bros., they've cast Cara Delevinge as Enchantress. A magic focused villain created in 1996, who shares a name with a famous sorceress Thor baddie who was created back in the 1960s. I'm curious if Warner Bros. can even use the character name since Marvel has been protective of their characters' copyrights. This isn't a case of character sharing like Marvel has done with Fox in the past, since these are two separate comic book companies. You might remember that DC Comics' Shazam! was originally Captain Marvel, but Marvel ended-up forcing DC to change the name. It's also bizarre the DC character design looks a lot like Marvel's Lady Loki, check out the comparison below.
We haven't heard a lot concerning Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice for months. The film is still shooting which could earn it the title of having the longest production shoot for a comic book film. Anyways, some new information about the film is coming from BadassDigest.
They confirm previous rumors that Doomsday is indeed in the film. The second piece includes Batman villain Anatoli Knyazev aka KGBeast will be working for Lex Luthor. It should be noted that Anatoli was a member of the Suicide Squad in the film Batman: Assault On Arkham, which could mean he might crossover to that film as well.
THR is reporting that actors Tom Hardy, Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney and Jared Leto are finalizing talks to take roles in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Margot is expected to play Harley Quinn with Jared Leto likely set for the new Joker. It's bit weird that people are reporting Aussie Jai Courtney is being looked-at for the lead role of Deadshot (leader of the group), while British actor Tom Hardy is linked for Aussie villain Harkness. I'm really hoping meat-head actor Jai Courtney isn't the lead of this film, and he's actually being placed in the secondary role of Harkness. Hardy seems more viable as the face of the franchise, and having actors like Leto, Hardy and Robbie playing second fiddle to Courtney seems just insane to me.
The film will begin pre-production in February with shooting expected to start in April. Production stages will be in my neck of the woods at Pinewood Studios Toronto. Films shot in the city are known having set photos leak in bulk, examples include Total Recall and Robocop. I expect we'll start seeing set images start rolling-out online in April. The release date is set for August 5th, 2016 and will be the first film post-Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
This news oddly has Will Smith's name missing from the lineup, which could mean he's out of the mix. We've been cautious about Smith's participation mainly since he's notorious for entering sequel talks and backing-out last minute. I'm unsure if Will would be willing to commit to sequels this film would likely spawn. It's normal for comic book contracts to include multiple film commitments. Having a feeling these characters will be showing up in other DC Comics films in the future, since most of the characters are Batman villains. Nothing says he won't end-up in the film, it just seems odd he's not apart of this update on the film.
Wow, talk about terrible casting. Variety reports that Warner Bros. is eyeing Aussie Jai Courtney (Die Hard 5, Jack Reacher) for the main role of Deadshot in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. I say terrible because Jai is known for some pretty lousy acting. His addition to the new Terminator film actually made me mad. I won't say that this could ruin the film, but having better actors surrounding him it will be glaring how out of place he'll be in that cast. He's not the leading man type, and this is just really weird lead casting.
Variety is also states that Margot Robbie is indeed looking to play Harley Quinn. They also mention that Tom Hardy is looking to be placed in the Rick Flag role. Not Harkness, which I assume he was since the actor is known for stellar accents. Instead Will Smith is apparently wanted for Harkness. This is sort of bizarre to me since Captain Boomerang is established as an Aussie villain. Smith isn't known for his accents, and hiring Aussie actor Jai Courtney for that role seems like a better move on the part of DC. I'm kind of hoping Variety got these male roles mixed-up, because this sounds ridiculous to me. Placing Will Smith and Tom Hardy in supporting roles seems fishy to me, those two are stronger leads than Courtney.
Jesse Eisenberg is said to be in talks to reprise the role of Lex Luthor in the film. Jared Leto could be our next Joker, and might be an excellent way to introduce the manic villain to this new DCU. David Ayer is directing with a release date set for August 2016, months after Batman v Superman drops. Production is expected to begin sooner than expected.
UPDATE: Deadline is now reporting that Courtney might be cast in another DC movie, which isn't Suicide Squad. There are plenty of films in the works including Wonder Woman, Shazam!, Aquaman, Justice League and The Flash coming-up next.
Collider is stating that Aussie actress Margot Robbie (Tarzan, Wolf of Wall Street) is a lock for Suicide Squad and is indeed playing Harley Quinn in the film. This is the first time a site is actually trying to confirm that the role is indeed Quinn. Actors Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor), Jared Leto (Joker), Will Smith (Deadshot) and Tom Hardy (Harkin) are also in the mix for the film. David Ayer is set to direct with the film set for a August 2016 release date.
While Collider does have a great record of scoops with their wonderful on-the-record interviews. Their "sourced" scoops are touch-and-go. Frosty (face of the site) took to Twitter to proclaim Joaquin Phoenix as confirmed for Doctor Strange. Only moments after this his peers corrected him with their own information, revealing Phoenix was getting cold feet. This turned-out to be true and he exited talks, with Benedict Cumberbatch currently the frontrunner for the role. Giving the impression that they've been going forward on old information, or just rumblings that happen to be circling bloggers' channels. Something that happens regularly with all sites.
The film is likely going to start-up production in the coming months, so locking-down a cast now seems right on schedule. However, Robbie has been in the mix for a bunch of high-profile projects only to exit at the last minute. Examples of this include Ghost In The Shell and Fantastic Four, it's a good role for her. However, Warner Bros' Tarzan might have filled the genre quota for her at the moment. I'm going to wait for better confirmation from other sites and sources. She's also expected to take a co-starring role in Tina Fey's The Taliban Shuffle.
Then again, I would be fine with this casting. As we now know that WB is looking to place Joker in the film, having Robbie play the fast-talking Joker sidekick is actually perfect. It doesn't hurt that she is apparently dating Jared Leto (rumored frontrunner for Joker role).
THR reports that Oscar winner Jared Leto (Fight Club, Requiem For A Dream, Lord of War, Dallas Buyers Club) is circling the role of The Joker in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. It's more likely that Joker would be the actual threat of the film, rather than a member of the team. The Joker was previously used as the real villain in the recent animated film from Warner Bros, which had the Suicide Squad as the focus. A lot of people have been curious when or if we would see the return of The Joker in Zack Snyder's DC universe.
Leto had been linked for being in the running for Doctor Strange, so he's obviously looking for a high-profile project to get involved with. After Heath Ledger's casting, I can't really say I'm against Jared as the iconic Batman villain. Since it all comes down to the on screen performance and we haven't seen Jared play the role to actually judge him.
The Joker's inclusion could also possibly mean Batman might have a cameo, or at the very least referenced through-out the film. It's hard to believe that if the Joker is running-around, we won't see Ben Affleck's Batman show-up for a scene, to give him a good ass-kicking.
We've sort of assumed that there would be a Joker reference in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Considering that Suicide Squad is shooting post-production of Batman v Superman, they could shoot a couple of Joker scenes for that film as well. It's expected that Snyder will spend some of of 2015 editing and completing pick-ups and reshoots. Placing Joker scenes into the mix wouldn't be entirely shocking. The villain has a role within the Frank Miller comics, which the film is inspired by. Waiting till the end of the production or during reshoots to film those scenes, might be a way to keep fan down expectations of his appearance.
The image above was posted on Twitter by cinematographer Larry Fong. This picture sort of teases an intense fight between Batman and The Joker that happens in the Miller comic. Fong actually got in a lot of hot water for it. Leading a lot of fans (including us) to speculate the Joker was on his way. While it's unknown if he'll be apart of Batman v Superman, it's looking like a sure thing he's going to be apart of Suicide Squad.
There is already talk that Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is very likely involved in the project. I assume he very well could be paying for the whole organization, or could even take the place of Amanda Waller (more likely her boss). A character that might have been ruined because of showing-up in Green Lantern. While Will Smith, Tom Hardy and Margot Robbie are in the mix for leads as well.
LatinoReview is hearing another actress being linked for a role in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. British actress Cara Delevingne is being eyed for the film. The newcomer is best known for smaller roles in films like Joe Wright's Anna Karenina and Pan, the latter is another Warner Bros. picture. Apparently, Disney is interested in her for Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Her next couple of films will see her working with Johnny Depp in London Fields and Kate Beckinsale in the thriller The Face of An Angel.
Her part in the film isn't being revealed, but there is some speculation with some rewrites it could be Harley Quinn.
Previously, Aussie actress Margot Robbie had been wanted for a female lead in the film. Robbie is known for being in the mix and quickly getting out of it. Margot had been in the running for leads in Fox's Fantastic Four and Dreamworks' Ghost In The Shell, but didn't land the roles. It might be a similar case with Suicide Squad, as other projects could peek her interest and drag her away. S
She seems like a great fit for the project working with Warner Bros. on Wolf of Wall Street, Focus and the Tarzan remake. Working with Will Smith in Focus was our nod this could be a reason the studio wanted to re-team the two actors. Smith's role isn't being revealed, but it's a strong possibility it's Deadshot. The self-appointed leader of the villain team. Tom Hardy is also in the mix, I assume for the role of weapons expert Harkness (Captain Boomerang). There is word via Deadline that Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor could also factor into the film.
Deadline reports that Warner Bros. is talking with Jesse Eisenberg about reprising the role of Superman villain Lex Luthor in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Jesse will introduce audiences to his take on Lex in 2016 with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Squad is about a group of rag-tag DC villains forced on suicide missions and will be the next DCU movie put into production. It's possible that Lex's role in the DCU will continue throughout the massive amount releases.
We've already heard that Will Smith, Tom Hardy and Margot Robbie are circling roles in the film. Usually, when it comes to DC casting we hear a very few names linked for roles. It's likely these will be our leads of the film. I'm under the assumption that Smith could be playing Deadshot, Hardy is wanted for Harkness and whatever the female lead ends-up is where Robbie fits in. Be that Harley Quinn or whatever female villain role they eventually announce she's playing. It will be coming to theatres only a few months after Batman v Superman in August 2016.
THR was first to report that Warner Bros. was looking at Ryan Gosling, Will Smith, Tom Hardy and Margot Robbie for roles in Suicide Squad. The DC Comics film will be next installment of the DCU after the release of Batman v Superman. Deadline is now saying that Smith and Hardy are very close to signing-on, while their roles aren't being named. The film's script is undergoing a couple of rewrites, but is expected to go into production very soon. It's release date is set for August 6th, 2016, which means it will likely shoot during the spring and summer of next year.
UPDATE: Deadline has updated their original story, by adding that Margot Robbie is also close to signing-on. Robbie was attached to lead Ghost In The Shell, but Dreamworks has gone with another actress. She recently worked with Smith on the con-artist movie Focus. I'm curious if Will Smith might end-up taking the Deadshot part, while Hardy taking the roguish role of Harkness.
Warner Bros. made a huge announcement today revealing their plans for the DC cinematic universe. Confirming that Suicide Squad will being released on August 6th, 2016 with David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch) directing. Having of a group of nasty criminals unwillingly taking the role of heroes.
THR is reporting that the studio is in early casting mode. Eyeing actors such as Ryan Gosling (Drive), Tom Hardy (Locke, Mad Max Fury Road, Inception), Will Smith and Margot Robbie (Tarzan, Ghost In The Shell, Wolf Of Wall Street). Gosling was once attached to star in WB's Logan's Run remake and wanted a small role in Wonder Woman when Nicholas Winding Refn was considering directing the film. Hardy might have played Bane, but since this is a new Batman universe his take on the villain never existed. I actually could see him playing Harkness in the film. Margot was in the mix to play Sue Storm in Fox's Fantastic Four reboot and could make for excellent addition to any franchise. Will Smith seems like the hardest-get here. However, after turning down iconic roles in films like Matrix and Django Unchained, a couple of box office bombs and being pushed-out of the I Am Legend sequel. Smith might be a bit more willing to consider a DC role.
Warner Bros. has finally revealed their plans for their DC Comics universe. This might just be on par with the amount of releases we'll be seeing from Marvel Studios. By 2020, we'll have twelve of these DCU films in theatres. The lineup includes some seriously diverse projects, which might leave Marvel in the dust. Kevin Feige and Disney are currently twiddling their thumbs about Black Panther and Captain Marvel, while WB have now committed to Wonder Woman and Cyborg movies.
Below is the order and release dates for the DC movies. It's an impressive list and should finally confirm that we won't be seeing crossovers with the CW shows.
- SUICIDE SQUAD (August 5th, 2016)
- WONDER WOMAN (June 23rd, 2017)
- JUSTICE LEAGUE PART 1 (November 23rd, 2017)
- THE FLASH (March 23rd, 2018)
- AQUAMAN (July 27th, 2018)
- SHAZAM (April 5th, 2019)
- JUSTICE LEAGUE PART 2 (June 14th, 2019)
- CYBORG (April 3rd, 2020)
- GREEN LANTERN Reboot (June 19th, 2020)
- BATMAN (TBA)
- SUPERMAN (TBA)
The studio also confirms that Zack Snyder will indeed be directing both installments of Justice League, the first movie coming in 2017. Fury director David Ayer is locked-in for Suicide Squad, which will be our first post-Batman v Superman movie in 2016.
I think the biggest news coming out of this is that the studio is looking at releasing solo adventures for Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquman and surprisingly Ray Fisher's Cyborg. Ezra Miller (We Need To Talk About Kevin) has been cast as the DCU version of The Flash and Jason Momoa has finally been confirmed as Aquaman. Green Lantern is getting a complete reboot (goodbye Ryan Reynolds!) along with new solo stories for Superman and Ben Affleck's Batman.
During the same podcast LatinoReview also mentioned the possible lineup for Warner Bros' Suicide Squad movie. Writer and director David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch, Training Day) had been recently linked as a possible directing candidate for the project. The lineup of criminals-turned-heroes apparently includes Deadshot, Vixen, Harkness aka Captain Boomerang, Mindboggler, Jaculi and Blockbuster.
Some of the lineup seems a bit odd, considering some of them I've never heard of (Deadshot, Vixen and Harkness the exception). Yet, it might be their actual abilities not their awareness that is the reason for being chosen.
It looks like there is a fifth actor being looked at for the role of Rick Flagg, and it's Dredd himself Karl Urban. You might remember it was only a couple of days ago that Karl was being linked for the villain role in Aquaman. I'm sure we could be hearing even more actors but Karl is an interesting addition to the mix of names.
