Will Smith, Jared Leto, and More Join the Cast of ‘Suicide Squad’

Warner Bros.’ next upcoming DC Comics adaptation, Suicide Squad, which focuses on a team of criminals forced to work for the government against their will, is set to release in theaters August of 2016 after the March release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film, directed by David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury), has now found its main cast.

Originally announced several weeks ago, Margot Robbie is confirmed to play Harley Quinn. Harley has been a beloved Batman villain for decades since her first appearance in Batman: The Animated Series. The character currently headlines her own series and plays a major role in DC’s New 52 title, New Suicide Squad. Margot Robbie’s previous credits include The Wolf of Wall Street, Pan Am, and About Time. She is also set to appear as Jane Porter in 2016’s Tarzan.

Next up, you can’t have Harley Quinn without the villain who originally drove her into madness, The Joker. Jared Leto, who recently appeared in the Oscar-nominated Dallas Buyers Club and numerous projects since the early 90s, has been confirmed to play the Clown Prince of Crime. The Joker’s last live-action onscreen appearance was portrayed by the late Heath Ledger, who won a posthumous academy award for his performance. Its unconfirmed whether The Joker will be a part of the team or against the team in the upcoming film.

Floyd Lawton, a.k.a. Deadshot, a character most recently portrayed by Michael Rowe on The CW’s Arrow, will be played by Will Smith in the film. Smith, the man who needs no introduction, has appeared in television and film since 1990, overlapping his successful music career. Some notable credits include the Men in Black trilogy, Independence Day, Hancock, and I Am Legend.

Another character who has appeared on The CW’s Arrow is Captain Boomerang, a villain who has precise skill with, you guessed it, a boomerang. While he is currently portrayed by Nick Tarabay (Star Trek Into Darkness) on Arrow, his film counterpart will be portrayed by Jai Courtney. Courtney has most recently appeared in Spartacus: War of the Damned, A Good Day to Die Hard, and Divergent. He is also set to play a role in the 2015’s Terminator: Genisys.

Cara Delevinge, who is also set to appear in 2015’s Pan and the upcoming novel adaptation Paper Towns, has been confirmed to play the sorceress known as Enchantress. Unlike the other characters mentioned, Enchantress has not been seen in a live-action film or television series. The character, who first appeared in 1966, was last seen as a villain in DC’s ongoing Justice League Dark title.

Last, but certainly not least, Tom Hardy will play Rick Flag, a character who appeared in the original Suicide Squad line-up introduced in 1959. In some incarnations of Suicide Squad, Rick Flag has been seen as the leader of the team. He has since not been reintroduced in DC’s New 52 line of comics. Tom Hardy, of course, is no stranger to DC properties. He portrayed the Batman villain Bane in Christopher Nolan’s 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises. Other credits include Locke, Lawless, Inception, and Bronson. He is also set to play the titular role in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road.

Well, there you have it. That’s the official line-up (so far) for DC/Warner Bros.’ upcoming Suicide Squad film. There are also reports coming in that Oprah Winfrey is being eyed to play Amanda Waller, another character currently on The CW’s Arrow portrayed by Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Spartacus: War of the Damned). Waller plays a pivotal role in DC’s Suicide Squad comics, so it’s more than likely we’ll be seeing her in the film. Batman v Superman‘s Lex Luthor, played by Jesse Eisenberg, is also rumored to appear in Suicide Squad. We’ll keep you posted on more casting news as it comes through, but for now feel free to let us know what you think about these latest casting decisions.

Suicide Squad is set to release in theaters August 6, 2016. Filming beings April 2015 in Toronto, Canada.

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