Joel Edgerton, Joe Manganiello, Jon Bernthal Rumored for 'Suicide Squad'; Gary Sinise Joins Cast

Even though it doesn't come out until 2016, Suicide Squad is taken all the attention away from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice lately. With Tom Hardy having dropped out, and Jake Gyllenhaal having passed on the chance to replace him in the role of Rick Flag, the cast is still being pieced together. But as it looks like Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Jared Leto are going to be the film's leads, Warner Bros. may have figured out it's time to seek a lesser known actor.

According to Cinemablend's source, Joel Edgerton and Jon Bernthal are being considered for the Rick Flag role. Bernthal worked with Ayer on the WWII tank flick Fury, and he's a guy who can fit into a supporting role and make something memorable out of it. The same can be said of Edgerton who has starred in some big films, such as The Great Gatsby, Exodus: Gods and Kings, and Warrior (alongside Tom Hardy) but isn't necessarily a huge name who will outshine others. The Flag role is interesting because he's basically the team leader when the antivillain squad is thrown into a mission, but that's not likely to be what he'll be doing in the movie.

Meanwhile, it looks like Gary Sinise has a part in the film but the exact role is up for debate. Latino Review had a scoop that Sinise would be playing the villain General Elling, one of the Atom's top villains, but Cinemablend's source suggests he could be someone else. They also claim that Joe Manganiello could be up for the role of Deathstroke, arguably the toughest villain in the DC Universe.

Suicide Squad opens August 5th 2016.

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Jake Gyllenhaal Passes On 'Suicide Squad' Role

As Warner Bros. looks to expand the scope of David Ayer's Suicide Squad film to possibly include an appearance by Batman himself, they still have to get the final cast in place. Tom Hardy recently dropped out of the film with reports suggesting he was unhappy with the size of his role as Rick Flag, and Jake Gyllenhaal was floated as a possibility to replace him. But the search will have to continue as Gyllenhaal has turned it down.

According to Variety, Gyllenhaal was offered the role but has decided against taking it, although no reasons are given for the decision. With Will Smith's Deadshot and Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn looking like the central characters it may be that Gyllenhaal had the same thoughts as Hardy. He's a big star who has been taking on increasingly complex roles over the past year, and it may be that he wants to continue with that than playing a supporting character in a comic book movie.

So the search continues. Suicide Squad opens August 5th 2016.

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Batman could Appear in 'Suicide Squad' as Prelude to Solo Movie

Why anybody completely trusts Latino Review after that whole Spider-Man/Marvel thing from last week is unclear, but the site is now switching their attention to DC's Suicide Squad film. The anti-villain flick has undergone something of a seismic shift with the loss of Tom Hardy,  which they say was largely due to creative differences involving his character, Rick Flag. Seems he won't be as prominent to the film as expected, and now there's more info on exactly who could be taking center stage.

Apparently it will be Jared Leto's Joker, Will Smith's Deadshot, Margot Robbie's Enchantress, and possibly even Ben Affleck's Batman who will be at the center of the story. Beware of spoilers from here on out! Turns out Harley Quinn and Deadshot would meet fairly early on in the midst of another job, and that's when they wind up captured and part of Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad. They would basically be  the lead characters, which makes  sense given that it's Smith and Robbie, while Joker is basically a looming evil presence. Based on this it would make sense for Hardy to drop out seeing as how he wouldn't be one of the headliners.

So how does Batman fit into all this? There are two different theories going around right now, and the one from Latino Review is that Affleck's Batman is"only mentioned and shown on camera footage" by Waller. The other, far more interesting rumor comes from Forbes who claim Batman will have an in-story scene involving Joker's escape from prison. This would set up a Dark Knight solo film inspired by The Dark Knight Returns with Joker as the villain.

What it sounds like is that Batman, who apparently will cameo in another unspecified DC film, is being positioned as the overarching character for the entire franchise, kindof like Nick Fury is for the Marvel movies. Batman will obviously star in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and will have a major role in the two upcoming Justice League films. Suicide Squad opens August 5th 2016 and co-stars Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Cara Delevingne, and possibly Jake Gyllenhaal in Hardy's former role.

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'Suicide Squad' Loses Tom Hardy; Jake Gyllenhaal Could Replace Him

Warner Bros. amassed quite a starry lineup for DC Comics adaptation Suicide Squad, arguably bigger than any of their other films. Will Smith, Tom Hardy, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, and Jared Leto were set to star in the antihero movie, but now one of them has been forced to drop out, and it's the one with previous experience as a DC Comics villain.

According to THR, Hardy has exited Suicide Squad, in which he would have taken the role of Rick Flag. While that's unfortunate news, The Wrap has word that Jake Gyllenhaal is being sought to replace him and that's not such a bad thing. The reasons for Hardy's departure are unclear but it may have to do with the extended shoot of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's The Revenant which is still going on.

With David Ayer planning to film Suicide Squad this April expect Hardy's replacement to be named soon.

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Viola Davis Reportedly Cast as Amanda Waller in 'Suicide Squad'

If this story turns out to be true then, sadly, we won't be seeing Oprah Winfrey in David Ayer's Suicide Squad movie. That also means we won't get to hear her say "You get a pardon! And you get a pardon! And you get a pardon!" to some of DC's toughest supervillains. Oprah had been one of the names eying the role of Amanda "The Wall" Waller in Suicide Squad, but according to Latino Review that part has gone to Viola Davis.

The How to Get Away with Murder star has the role of Waller all wrapped up, assuming her TV schedule can be ironed out. The role of Waller is one that we've seen on the big screen before, played by Angela Bassett in Green Lantern, and on the small screen on CW's Arrow played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson. It takes a special kind of lady to command a team of supervillains, but that's what Waller does as the government handler for the Suicide Squad. She's in charge of the secret unit that offers amnesty to convicted supervillains in exchange for completing missions they aren't expected to survive. Waller is tough as nails and takes no crap from anybody, traits we know Davis can get across in her sleep.

If all of this works out, Davis would join Will Smith as Deadshot, Jared Leto as the Joker, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Tom Hardy as Rick Flagg, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, and Cara Delevingne as the Enchantress. Suicide Squad is set to hit theaters August 5th 2016.

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Will Smith, Tom Hardy, and More Confirmed for 'Suicide Squad'; Oprah Winfrey (!!!) Sought for Role

Marvel may have done a great job of creating new stars (how many of you REALLY cared about Chris Evans before Captain America?), but Warner Bros. is hoping to go the more established route. Suicide Squad doesn't have the same name recognition as DC's top brands like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, so we've seen them shoot for the moon in casting, and now it all appears to have paid off.

Will Smith, Tom Hardy, Jared Leto, Jai Courtney, Margot Robbie, and Cara Delevingne are officially set to star in the villain film, which David Ayer (Fury) will direct. For Hardy this will be a return to the DC Universe after playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, only this time he'll be taking on the role of Rick Flagg. Smith is set to play Deadshot, Leto is confirmed as the Joker with Robbie as his gal Harley Quinn, while Delevingne is the Enchantress and Courtney is Boomerang. Pretty cool lineup, and it gives Smith a chance to play an actual comic book character after starring as a washed-up superhero in Hancock.

There's more, though, as Variety adds that Viola Davis, her The Help and Get On Up co-star Octavia Spencer, and Oprah Winfrey (!!!!!!) sought to take on the role of Amanda Waller. Waller, aka "The Wall" is the tough-as-nails head of the government organization that uses supervillains as expendable assets on suicide missions. Angela Bassett portrayed her in the Green Lantern film, but who cares about that when Oprah!?!? As you might have guessed, Oprah is the studio's top pick.

Suicide Squad is set to open on August 5th 2016.  Let the fan art begin.

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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.

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Is Margot Robbie Playing Harley Quinn in 'Suicide Squad'?

Forget The Avengers, the hot superhero team right now is Suicide Squad, which will be the first DC Comics film to follow-up Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. With David Ayer already on board to direct, Warner Bros. has been shooting for the moon in casting the team of villains with Will Smith and Tom Hardy apparently in the mix, Jesse Eisenberg possibly appearing as Lex Luthor, and Jared Leto recently rumored to be playing the Joker. Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) has been the closest to signing on for an unspecified role for weeks, but Collider now says she's set to play Joker's equally looney girlfriend, Harley Quinn.

This contradicts a recent story that suggested Cara Delevingne was in line for the Harley Quinn role, so we need to hold out for some official confirmation. The screenplay by Justin Marks was written some time ago as the film has been in development for years and it's likely to have undergone significant rewrites, adding in more DC Comics characters and perhaps changing the "Task Force X" roster completely. Neither Joker or Harley Quinn was said to be part of the lineup in some earlier reports on the script. Joker has never been a member of the Suicide Squad, not even in its most recent incarnation, while Harley Quinn has been part of the Squad since 2011's "New 52" relaunch.

Suicide Squad is set to open on August 5th 2016.

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David Ayer's 'Suicide Squad' Eyes Jared Leto as the Joker

If Warner Bros. was quick to put a new actor in the Bat-suit so soon after Christian Bale occupied the role, it shouldn't come as a surprise they're willing to do the same for his nemesis, the Joker. After Heath Ledger's unforgettable performance, imagining another actor as Joker could prove difficult for fans to accept, but it looks like they'll have to get used to it sooner rather than later.

According to The Wrap, the Joker will indeed appear in Suicide Squad, with Jared Leto being sought for the role.  It had been an offer made to Ryan Gosling but he turned it down for all of the reasons many expected, which is that he didn't want to be locked into a multi-picture deal. Leto has something Gosling doesn't, though, and that's an Academy Award for his transformative performance in Dallas Buyers Club, and he'll need those skills to transform into the notorious "clown prince" of crime. The most interesting aspect of all this is that Joker is appearing in Suicide Squad at all, but it does make it more likely that Cara Delevigne's rumored role as Harley Quinn is spot-on.

With Margot Robbie on board, Will Smith and Tom Hardy circling roles, and David Fury directing, Suicide Squad is shaping up nicely in time for its release on August 5th 2016.

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Cara Delevingne may Suit Up for 'Suicide Squad'; Also Sought for 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5'

The first DC Comics film to follow Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice won't be one of the heavy hitters like Wonder Woman or the Flash. Surprisingly it will be Suicide Squad, which is coming together now under the direction of End of Watch and Fury helmer, David Ayer. While Margot Robbie seems like a lock for an unspecified role, another actress may be coming aboard to play DC's team of villains.

A rumor over at Latino Review says rising star Cara Delevingne is up for a role in Suicide Squad, and they speculate she could play Harley Quinn,  the Joker's equally psychotic "girlfriend" and partner-in-crime. Previous reports had the lineup as Blockbuster (Mark Desmond), Multiplex (Danton Black), Jaculi, Mindboggler (Leah Wasserman), Captain Boomerang (George Harkness), Vixen (Mari Jiwe McCabe) and Deadshot (Floyd Lawton), but if Ayer rewrites the script he could find a way to put Harley Quinn into the mix. Or Latino Review is just plain wrong, which is a distinct possibility. But if you take a look back through Delvingne's Instagram page you'll find that she posted an interesting photo of Harley Quinn some weeks ago. Coincidence?  She's apparently also being sought for a role in Pirates of the Caribbean 5: Dead Men Tell no Tales.

Delevingne is a model and singer who made her big screen debut in Joe Wright's Anna Karenina. She'll rejoin Wright for the Peter Pan film, Pan, and has a role in Paper Towns, based on the book by John Green.  Suicide Squad opens August 5th 2016.

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We May See Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor in 'Suicide Squad'

If Marvel can do it, so can Warner Bros., and we've seen the latter aiming high in building their DC Comics universe. With ten movies coming over the next few years that means plenty of opportunity for crossovers, and it looks like we're going to see one involving David Ayer's Suicide Squad.

According to Deadline, talks are underway for Jesse Eisenberg to reprise his role as Lex Luthor in Suicide Squad, after appearing in (and apparently surviving) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The search is underway for an A-list cast to star in the film, with Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Tom Hardy, and Ryan Gosling sought to play the team of government-sanctioned villains. So what does Lex Luthor have to do with them? Not much, but they crossed paths during the Doomsday Protocol storyline which took place when he was briefly President of the United States. Yes, Luthor was the POTUS for awhile.

There's just one problem, and it's Eisenberg's schedule. He's set to star in Arms & the Dudes, the crime film from The Hangover's Todd Phillips. He may have to choose one or the other, and something tells me WB is going to have the edge on this one. Suicide Squad opens August 5th 2016 with production to begin in the spring.

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Ryan Gosling Eyed for 'Doctor Strange' and DC's 'Suicide Squad' Along with Will Smith and Tom Hardy

So far in his career Ryan Gosling has yet to star in a major tentpole film. When he had the chance to star in a potential blockbuster in the Logan's Run remake he backed out, but when it comes to superhero movies he's totally avoided them. That may be about to change, though, as THR says Gosling has been spending some time at the Marvel offices to talk about Doctor Strange, while he's also being courted for roles in Warner Bros.' Suicide Squad and Summit's film on Harry Houdini.

With Joaquin Phoenix having pulled his name out of the running, Marvel has expanded their Doctor Strange search to a series of other A-listers. Ewan McGregor, Matthew McConaughey, and Oscar Isaac are just a few of the names that have emerged recently, and apparently they've met with Gosling about the role, too. Reports are Marvel feels they can get just about anybody for the role which is why they've been approaching actors who, like Phoenix, have mostly stayed away from franchises and long-term contracts. Gosling seems like a long shot for this one, but you never know.

Gosling is also Warner Bros.' pick to lead their newly-confirmed and dated Suicide Squad film, which will be directed by David Ayer for release in 2016. They're aiming pretty high for this one by sending out offers to Will Smith, his Focus co-star Margot Robbie, and Tom Hardy for the antihero film about a team of villains forced to work as expendable black ops agents for the government. Given the recent rumors about the Suicide Squad lineup it's likely they want Gosling for the role of Deadshot or Captain Boomerang and Robbie as Vixen. As for Smith or Hardy? Your guess is as good as mine.

There's also an offer out there for Gosling to star in the forever-developing adaptation of The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero, which Dean Parisot is directing. Johnny Depp had been attached to it briefly but will be busy cranking out a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean. Right now it doesn't seem likely Gosling will take any of these projects. Let's not forget he was close to starring in Green Lantern but made the wise decision to turn it down. He may be looking at that as a sign to steer clear from the genre altogether.

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Rumors on the 'Justice League' Villain and the 'Suicide Squad' Lineup

Before we knew the plot or cast (or the title) of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, questions were already being asked about Justice League. Who would be part of the team? What villain would force DC's greatest heroes to join forces? Those questions haven't been answered yet but Latino Review claims to know who the villain will be, plus the lineup for the upcoming Suicide Squad movie.

The site, which shoots about 50% on stuff like this, claims Argo screenwriter Chris Terrio will be introducing the villain Brainiac in Justice League. Generally considered a Superman foe, the presence of Brainiac could suggest a tighter connection to the Man of Steel films. It also means we probably won't be seeing much if anything of Darkseid, who has long been rumored to be the Justice League bad guy.

While we wait to find out if Fury and End of Watch director David Ayer will be at the helm for Suicide Squad, speculation has already begun on which of DC's heels will comprise the team of expendable government agents. The seven members are Deadshot, Vixen (also a Justice League member), Harkness aka Captain Boomerang, Blockbuster, Mindboggler, Jaculi, and Multiplex with the first three as the leads. What, no Bronze Tiger? No Rick Flag?

The Suicide Squad film hasn't even been confirmed yet so assuming anything about the storyline is way premature. Justice League has been in development for awhile so the chances of Brainiac appearing are far greater because Terrio, Zack Snyder, and David Goyer are probably working on the story together.

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'Fury' and 'End of Watch' Director David Ayer Circling a 'Suicide Squad' Film

As Warner Bros. continues to build their stable of TV series based on DC Comics properties, their big screen universe is expanding, as well. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is on the way in 2016, and we know it will be followed by Justice League and a Shazam movie starring Dwayne Johnson. But one project that has been developing for years with a script by Justin Marks is Suicide Squad, based on DC's team of government-controlled antiheroes. A few months ago word broke that David Goyer (Man of Steel) was actively developing it, and now a director may have been found.

According to Variety, End of Watch and Training Day director David Ayer is circling the Suicide Squad gig, just one of many DC comics movies slated to hit screens between now and 2020. The studio correctly surmises that Ayer, who directed Brad Pitt's WWII thriller Fury, would be a good fit for the edgier material, but as of now it's unclear where the negotiations with him stand. The Suicide Squad are basically like DC's version of the Dirty Dozen or The Expendables. They are a bunch of bad guys and antiheroes forced by the government to take on nearly-impossible missions as expendable assets. Their roster has shifted a lot over the years but some members have included Captain Boomerang, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Bronze Tiger. Their handler in the government is Amanda "The Wall" Waller, who was played by Angela Bassett in Green Lantern and has been rumored to appear in Batman v Superman. Could we be looking at a potential crossover here? The team has made frequent appearances on Arrow, and was the subject of the animated film, Batman: Assault on Arkham.

With an Aquaman film also in the works and now Suicide Squad, Warner Bros. is starting to fill out their slate, but it's still a little surprising to they're moving in this direction (and Shazam, too) with the major projects hardly settled. Or is this an indication that things have progressed further along than we think?

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David Goyer Planning DC Comics Films Based on Suicide Squad, Booster Gold, and More

While most of the attention of Warner Bros. superhero films has focused on Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan, the real driving force behind them is David Goyer. He's been a part of numerous comic book adaptations over the years before he was aligned with the studio, penning films based on Marvel's Nick Fury, Blade, and even The Crow. But he's the guy who wrote all of those great Nolan-directed Batman movies and Man of Steel, and every time a new superhero project emerges it's Goyer's name that is attached. And that's why it's no surprise to hear he's connected to Warner Bros' plan for a whole new slate of lower-cost comic book films for 2014.

Marvel unveiled a similar plan a few years years ago to prep less expensive movies using B-list characters, and it's beginning to play out on the small screen rather than the big. That doesn't seem to be the case for WB and DC Entertainment, who according to Bleeding Cool have Goyer working on adaptations of Suicide Squad, Booster Gold, Deathstroke, Team 7, and more. The plan is to have these films budgeted at around $20M, although Suicide Squad could go as high as $40M, which makes sense considering it's the most promising of the bunch. Two of these movies would be released each year, one in the spring and fall, which will make three DC superhero movies a year when including the tentpole films like Batman vs. Superman.

A film based on Suicide Squad was in the works years ago with Justin Marks (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li) hired to begin work on a screenplay. It's unclear if this will have be based on his draft or if they'll begin anew chronicling the story of supervillains forced to undertake dangerous missions for the government. The team membership has been a fluid thing over the years, but my favorite version featured Captain Boomerang, Bronze Tiger, and Deadshot, those last two recently appearing on WB's Arrow TV series. They were led, albeit reluctantly, by Amanda Waller who was played by Angela Bassett in the awful Green Lantern movie.

These films were reportedly be part of DC and WB's big announcements for 2014, which hopefully will include definitive word on David Goyer's Justice League.

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Uh oh. Are Ryan Reynolds' days as 'Green Lantern' over?

As Warner Brothers and DC begin the process of building towards a Justice League film, they've got a little clean up duty to do first. The Batman side of things is in a place of total flux, with Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale departing after The Dark Knight Rises. Man of Steel is an unknown commodity at this point, with an unproven star in Henry Cavill. And then there's Green Lantern, which was supposed to be their lynchpin, with red hot Ryan Reynolds as the face of the movement. Then Green Lantern turned out to be one big costly disaster, and now Warner Brothers is stuck on what to do with him next.

In a new story by Variety discussing Warner Brothers' plans to utilize the wide DC stable of heroes, they note that the studio is considering whether or not to even bring Reynolds back for a sequel, or just to reboot the character entirely. Michael Goldenberg was hired two years ago to pen the follow-up, but he's recently been tapped to take on the Wonder Woman script. You can hardly blame the studio for having cold feet. Nobody had a worse 2011 than Reynolds did, and since fans aren't invested in Green Lantern right now, there probably won't be any complaints if they start over from scratch.

In much brighter news, the story also confirms a number of projects that have been talked about in the past. Along with the previously confirmed Lobo, Wonder Woman, and Flash movies, you can also count on seeing Suicide Squad, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Shazam. We've written about practically all of these films in the past, so it's good to know those rumors have proven to be true.

Last I heard about a Flash movie, Greg Berlanti(Life As We Know It) was circling the director's chair, with a script by Marc Guggenheim and Michael Green. Shazam was announced three years ago, with DC Comics superstar Geoff Johns co-writing. The most violent of all of these would be Suicide Squad, which pits a team of villains working under the employ of the government and given approval to use whatever force necessary to stop dangerous threats. Talk of that film emerged in 2009, and at the time had Justin Marks(Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li) on board to write. 2015 was going to be the year for Aquaman, and I guess there's still an outside shot it could happen if Warner Brothers gets on the ball.

There's a good chance none of those players are still involved with those films, so don't hold any of it as gospel. Whatever path the studio decides to go in, it's clear Christopher Nolan is going to be a factor. They've been leaning on him more and more, wrapping up Batman and now producing Man of Steel. Even though he doesn't have a deal in place with Warner Brothers right now, they're willing to put all their hopes of beating Marvels squarely on his shoulders.

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