DC Movie Locks Its All-Star Supervillain Cast, But What Exactly Is A 'Suicide Squad'?
Some of the biggest names in Hollywood - including Jared Leto and Will Smith - will be helming DC Comics' upcoming 'Suicide Squad' movie... but what on Earth is a Suicide Squad?
By Samantha Khor — 14 Jul 2015, 01:13 PM
Warner Bros has no choice but to release official first look at 'Suicide Squad' after Comic-Con leak
“Warner Bros. Pictures and our anti-piracy team have worked tirelessly over the last 48 hours to contain the Suicide Squad footage that was pirated from Hall H on Saturday. We have been unable to achieve that goal. Today we will release the same footage that has been illegally circulating on the web, in the form it was created and high quality with which it was intended to be enjoyed. We regret this decision as it was our intention to keep the footage as a unique experience for the Comic Con crowd, but we cannot continue to allow the film to be represented by the poor quality of the pirated footage stolen from our presentation.”
- Sue Kroll, President Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures
comicbook.com
Take a leaf from Marvel's book, Warner Bros. - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. The official HQ trailer was put up online yesterday, showcasing quite a bit of the bubbly but psychotic Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie).
We also got a few glimpses of the rest of team, namely Deadshot (Will Smith), Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman), Katana (Karen Fukuhara), and... well, you gotta see them for yourself
Then there's the one character we've all been waiting for - Jared Leto's The Joker prepping to torture... whoever he's got in his clutches this time
27 APR 2015: First look of Jared Leto's obviously psychotic Joker is sending shivers down our spines
In celebration of The Joker's 75th anniversary, 'Suicide Squad' director David Ayer finally unveiled the one photo we've all been waiting for - Jared Leto as the iconic DC villain
The menacing tattoos, crazed look in the eyes, the teeth and smile, the facial expression. Leto has captured the pain and misery that is the Joker’s, and portrayed it in the picture. Leto is menacing, and scary. It should make for interesting interaction with the other members of the cast.
inquisitr.com
Ayer had previously posted darkly-lit teasers of Leto's gradual evolution into The Joker as well as several pre-production shots for 'Suicide Squad' on Twitter
#WhereIsJared #SuicideSquad pic.twitter.com/D5tMnMGBop
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) April 10, 2015
Set dec. Every detail matters #SuicideSquad pic.twitter.com/WA8fQgXFif
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) March 27, 2015
Meanwhile, Joel Kinnaman ('Robocop', 'Child 44') has been roped in to replace Tom Hardy as leader of the pack, Rick Flag
Viola Davis will be filling in the role of Suicide Squad commander Amanda Waller
Several actors have also joined the cast, including Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Waylon Jones/Killer Croc, Raymond Olubowale (Nanaue/King Shark), Karen Fukuhara (Bette Sans Souci/Plastique), Adam Beach (Christopher Weiss/Slipknot), Scott Eastwood, Jay Hernandez, rapper Common, Jim Parrack, and Ike Barinholtz
Rumour has it that Ben Affleck and Jesse Eisenberg will also be making an appearance as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Lex Luthor respectively.
4 DEC 2014: Did you wake up this morning to find "Suicide Squad" and "Jared Leto" trending on Twitter, but you have no idea what's going on? Turns out, the Oscar-winning actor will be the new Joker in an upcoming DC Comics movie!
Completing its star-studded cast, DC and Warner Bros have also announced that Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Tom Hardy, Cara Delevingne, and Jai Courtney will be make up the remaining members of the 'Suicide Squad'
The film will star two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith as Deadshot; Tom Hardy as Rick Flagg; Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn; Oscar winner Jared Leto as the Joker; Jai Courtney as Boomerang; and Cara Delevingne as Enchantress.
comicbook.comIn the DC Comics Universe, the Suicide Squad is a team of incarcerated big bads who have been commissioned by the US government to carry out high-risk missions in exchange for shorter prison sentences
Formally known as Task Force X, the team's actions are highly classified, and the government is able to deny any involvement by claiming that they are not responsible for the damages of a random super-villain attack. Their commander is Amanda Waller, who runs the organization out of Belle Reve prison.
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While team members differ from time to time in the comics, six characters that will definitely appear in the movie are as follows:
1. Heading the pack of supervillains is Rick Flag, who will be played by Tom Hardy ('The Dark Knight Rises', 'Inception', 'Warrior')
An elite soldier and a government agent working in Task Force X, Rick Flag was enlisted to lead the first ever Suicide Squad of super-villains put together by Amanda Waller. Flag is the team's field commander, and he accompanies them on all covert ops missions.
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2. Two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith will be taking on the role of master marksman and supervillain-slash-antihero, Deadshot
Dubbed the world's greatest marksman, hired assassin Deadshot will commit any murder for the right price because of a notorious suicidal death wish. His cybernetic eye grants increased accuracy and provides additional mission and target data.
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3. Jared Leto ('Dallas Buyers Club', 'Requiem For A Dream') has some pretty big shoes to fill as the new Joker, one of the most iconic and legendary supervillains in comic history
On the big screen, the Joker has been portrayed by Jack Nicholson in 1989's 'Batman' and the late Heath Ledger in 2008's 'The Dark Knight', of which the latter won a posthumous Oscar. A master criminal with a clown-like appearance, the Joker has been portrayed as a violent sociopath who murders people for his own amusement as well as a goofy trickster-thief throughout his career in the DC universe.
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4. Margot Robbie ('The Wolf Of Wall Street) will be playing the psychotic Harley Quinn, also known as the Joker's sometimes sidekick and on-and-off girlfriend
A former psychiatric intern at Arkham Asylum, Dr. Harleen Quinzel fell in love with the Joker after she was assigned to him at the asylum. This led to her adopting her own costumed persona - Harley Quinn - to assist the Joker's escape from the asylum and cause further mayhem. Her special abilities include an enhanced physiology due to chemical experimentation, giving her increased strength, agility and durability.
wikia.com
5. Captain Boomerang will be making his big screen debut with Jai Courtney ('Divergent', 'Spartacus: War Of The Dead') as the boomerang-swinging thug
Traditionally portrayed as an arch enemy of DC superhero The Flash, Captain Boomerang is a violent thug from Australia who uses a variety of high-tech boomerangs to commit crimes and fight the Flash. The original Captain Boomerang was named George "Digger" Harkness, until the title was assumed by his son, Owen Mercer upon his death.
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6. Not to be confused with the Marvel villain of the same name, 'Suicide Squad' resident sorceress Enchantress will be played by supermodel-turned-actress Cara Delevingne
A characters who has been both a superheroine and a supervillain, Enchantress is a powerful but mentally unstable witch who has fought as hero and villain. Her true identity is the kind-hearted June Moone, although she becomes evil when possessed by the Enchantress entity.
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Amanda Waller, commander of the supervillain Squad, has yet to be cast. Warner Bros are reportedly eyeing Oprah Winfrey as its first choice for the role, with Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer also in the shortlist
'Suicide Squad' is currently slated for an August 2016 release, with production set to begin April next year in Toronto
David Ayer will be directing and writing the script for “Suicide Squad,” which is being produced by Charles Roven (“The Dark Knight” trilogy, upcoming “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”) and Richard Suckle (“American Hustle”). Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Colin Wilson and Geoff Johns are serving as executive producers.
comicbook.com