Jai Courtney Takes Aim at Deadshot Role in 'Suicide Squad'

If the sudden rise to fame of Aussie actor Jai Courtney seems familiar, that may be because it looks an awful lot like Sam Worthington 2.0. He's a big, tough guy with a certain look that makes him perfect for roles in A Good Day to Die Hard, Jack Reacher, and Terminator Genisys, while also making him somebody studios would look towards for any number of superhero movies. With Warner Bros. gearing up their "Dirty Dozen with supervillains" flick Suicide Squad, Courtney has emerged at the top of their list for a key role.

Variety reports Courtney is in talks for Suicide Squad, likely playing Floyd Lawton aka Deadshot.  David Ayer (Fury) is directing and will rewrite the script centering on the team of anti-heroes forced by the government to take dangerous black ops missions they aren't expected to return from. Jared Leto is said to be up for the role of Joker, with Margot Robbie set to play his lunatic girlfriend, Harley Quinn. Will Smith and Tom Hardy are also in negotiations, with Smith possibly playing the scheming Digger Harkness aka Captain Boomerang. There's also a chance Jesse Eisenberg could reprise his Lex Luthor role from Batman v Superman.

So if Courtney agrees he'll be in impressive company once again. He's come a long way in a short time since Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and the choices he's making should him in the spotlight for a long time to come. Suicide Squad opens August 5th 2016.