It’s official. DC’s next big comic film, Suicide Squad, has a cast, including names such as Will Smith, Tom Hardy, Jared Leto and Margot Robbie. The Suicide Squad dates back to its first official appearance in 1959 and the introduction of the modern incarnation in 1987. This team of B and C list supervillains has been imagined in various ways throughout the years in the comics and includes a multitude of characters. Outside of the comics, the Suicide Squad has appeared in everything from Smallville and the animated television show Justice League Unlimited to most recently in a DC animated film titled Suicide Squad and the CW’s Arrow.
This team has been re-imagined and re-created various times over the years, with this newest film to include a character who’s never been on the team before and hasn’t made an appearance since Heath Ledger’s portrayal in The Dark Knight: the Joker. For a more complete and in-depth look at the Suicide Squad over the years, watch the video above.
Here’s what you need to know about the cast of Suicide Squad:
1. Jared Leto as The Joker
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Jared Leto is the newest in a long line to play the Clown Prince and an interesting choice at that. He does have an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, so his acting isn’t the question. But what will be his take on the Joker and how will he make him his own? This character has had some memorable actors play and voice him over his history. He’s as iconic as his nemesis Batman, and it seems everyone who plays him brings something different to the table. I doubt we’ll see the campy clown whose biggest crime is dropping a giant pie on the mayor. However, will Leto’s Joker be as dark as Ledger’s was, maybe even more? Or will a different approach be taken, maybe something more of a wild card, really diving into the Joker’s insane unpredictability. Plus, Mista J will be accompanied by his girlfriend Harley Quinn, something we have yet to see in live action, and having the mentally unstable couple side by side is exciting to say the least.
2. Will Smith as Deadshot
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Perhaps the biggest name on the cast list, Will Smith will play the mercenary marksman Deadshot, who has regularly led the Suicide Squad over the years. Deadshot has been featured in both Smallville and Arrow, with Will Smith being the first person to bring him to the big screen. Smith was a weird choice, simply because Deadshot is generally someone who wears a mask and Smith is such a big name actor. It’s doubtful his face will be covered for the majority of the movie. Nit picking aside, Deadshot’s appearance will most likely resemble something from Arrow, allowing for Smith’s face to be seen. Smith could excel in his role and will most likely be one of the film’s stronger presences because of his star power. I’m curious to see how serious Smith will play the character, as he’s generally comedic in some fashion when acting.
3. Tom Hardy as Rick Flag
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The original leader of the Suicide Squad, Rick Flag will be played by Tom Hardy, who previously played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. There are two Rick Flags — senior and junior — and which one Hardy will play we don’t know. Either way, Hardy is a great actor who has been phenomenal in past roles. It will be interesting to see if Hardy will be a permanent fixture or killed off by the end of the film, as he and Deadshot have both been leaders of the team at various times. Maybe there will be a passing of the torch in this film. I mean, the film is titled Suicide Squad, and if someone doesn’t die from the team, I think that would be a disservice to the film.
4. Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
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This is the biggest left field casting of the film and the biggest risk. Nothing against Robbie — she is a great actress, as seen in The Wolf of Wall Street. The question is whether she can play someone like Harley Quinn, the female Deadpool of DC. While no one has played Harley Quinn in a live action incarnation before, this is as big a role as Joker in terms of notability among fans. Harley Quinn has a massive follwing among comic fans and on the Internet. People love Quinn and don’t want to see their beloved character butchered, in the same way Deadpool was in Wolverine: Origins. Robbie will need to show a perfect mix of insanity and bubbly personality to do Harley Quinn justice, along with mixing in her unique humor. However, at the same time, Robbie has the ability to blaze her own trail for actresses to follow, in the way Quinn is portrayed. Possibly, solidifying herself in fandom as embodying Harley Quinn in a similar fashion to Hugh Jackman with Wolverine and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. She and Leto will need some serious on-screen chemistry for the two of them to pull off Joker and Quinn as the insane yet lovable couple that comic fans enjoy.
5. Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang
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Spartacus star Jai Courtney will play Captain Boomerang, a villain who, if you haven’t figured it out from the title, uses a deadly boomerang. He is not one of DC’s most fearsome villains or even the best named in the modern era, and Courtney’s character will most likely be changed into something darker than his comic counterpart, if Man of Steel has taught us anything. It also seems his name will shortened from Captain Boomerang to just Boomerang. This casting is odd because Captain Boomerang was recently featured on Flash for the first time, and now DC is announcing a second casting for the character in a movie. It’s almost identical to the way they announced their casting of the movie Flash, when their TV showed debuted at the same time. While Courtney may do an excellent job as the character, if anyone was going to die in the Suicide Squad film it would be him.
6. Cara Delevingne as Enchantress
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Fashion model, singer and now DC’s super-villainesse, Cara Delevingne is playing the Enchantress, not to be confused with Marvel’s character of the same name. Enchantress is a powerful sorceress and will probably be the first real look into DC’s realm of magic. I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about Cara Delevingne as an actress or really at all for that matter, so whether she will be able to play the Enchantress properly is not something I can’t comment on. I would have to assume and hope that DC knows what they’re doing with their casting, but this is something that is being constantly questioned by fans.
7. Fan Cast: Viola Davis as Amanda Waller
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While Oprah is the current individual attached to playing Amanda “The Wall” Waller, she would be the last person I would ever think to play the character. Oprah is associated with charity, personability, generosity and anything relating to nice. Amanda Waller? She’s the opposite of all those things. “The Wall” Waller is stubborn, difficult to work for, cold and is not someone you want to cross; she’s an anti-hero at best. So who would be my choice? I would have to think Viola Davis, and it seems most fans agree with me. Davis has the screen presence to play Waller’s intensity and general “unfriendly” demeanor, while commanding respect from those around her. I believe Davis could bring the Amanda Waller from the comics right into live action in the way most DC fans remember and want. She’s building a larger fan base in How to Get Away with Murder on ABC and displays the acting ability to play a rigid character like Amanda Waller.