4 Reasons We're Excited About the 'Suicide Squad' Casting
The comic book Suicide Squad
We’re still psyched to see justice dawn in Batman v. Superman. But after yesterday’s bombshell casting announcement, Suicide Squad has become the other big-screen DC Comics team-up we’re most excited to see. The David Ayer-directed movie — which is due in theaters in August 2016, five months after the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight go head-to-head — boasts an ensemble that includes newly-minted Oscar winner Jared Leto as Batman’s no. 1 nemesis, the Joker; box-office powerhouse Will Smith as ace sharpshooter Deadshot; former Bat-baddie Tom Hardy as super-intense Rick Flagg; rising star Margot Robbie as maniacal Harley Quinn; and Jai Courtney and Cara Delevingne as Captain Boomerang and the Enchantress respectively.
As you can probably tell from that line-up of characters, this isn’t your typical Avengers-style grouping of flawed, but noble heroes. The driving idea behind Suicide Squad is that it brings together a team of rebellious lawbreakers and gives them a shot at redemption…provided they can survive a suicidal mission, of course.
Related: Meet the Suicide Squad
Ayer himself has described his film as being closer in spirit to the classic Lee Marvin World War II adventure, The Dirty Dozen, which is unique territory for both the fledgling DC movieverse and comic book movies in general. Here are five reasons why Suicide Squad is shaping up to be such an exciting — and risky — production.
Will Smith is breaking new ground as Deadshot
1. It’s Changing the Face of the Comic
Marvel dipped its toe into color-blind casting when it enlisted Samuel L. Jackson to play Nick Fury (although that was a change heralded in the company’s Ultimate line of comic books) and, more controversially, Michael B. Jordan as the previously blonde-haired, blue-eyed Johnny Storm in Fox’s upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. So far at least, a similar fanboy outcry hasn’t broken out over Ayer’s choice of Will Smith for Deadshot, whose alter ego, Floyd Lawton, has been white in the comics. It’s a bold choice that hopefully heralds a fresh wave of diversity in comic book movies, as filmmakers look for the right actor to play the part instead of actors who are the “right” color. And the thought of Smith breaking bad is promising as well. Maybe this will make up for his head-scratching decision to pass on Django Unchained.
Jared Leto’s the new Joker
2. It’s a Whole New Joker
It’s only natural to be skeptical about the Joker’s impending Jordan Catalano makeover, but let’s not forget that people came up with at least ten things to hate about Heath Ledger’s casting as the Clown Prince of Crime prior to The Dark Knight hitting theaters. And the movie’s premise alone is going to allow for a dramatically different Joker than we’ve seen before. For one thing, he’ll have Robbie’s ultimate fangirl, Harley Quinn, nipping at his heels. And then there’s the question of his revised backstory; it’s already been revealed that Batman v. Superman will establish that the Caped Crusader has been in action for some time, so it’s highly probable that he’s already tangled with the Joker — which would also explain the latter’s current eligibility for the Suicide Squad. Both Ledger and Jack Nicholson only battled the Bat once; Leto’s Joker will likely have a history with the Dark Knight that will be interesting to explore as the DC movieverse expands outwards.
Related: What Jared Leto Can Learn From Previous Jokers
3. It’s Gonna Get Magical
As Badass Digest notes, the DC movies have thus far sought to distinguish themselves from Marvel by going for a more gritty, realistic vibe as established by Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Heck, even Superman’s alien origins were given a distinctly down-to-Earth treatment in Man of Steel. But by including the spell-casting Enchantress amongst Suicide Squad’s membership, that opens a door to more magical territory, leading to potential appearances by paranormally-inclined DC characters like Zatanna, Doctor Fate, and the Spectre. Bonus points if they find a way to get Klarion, the Witch Boy on film.
4. It’s Not the Movie Anyone Expected
Look, a Batman/Superman pairing was inevitable, as was a Justice League movie. But Suicide Squad? That’s a title very few folks probably had on their wish lists, as evidenced by the comic book’s checkered publishing history. It doesn’t even have the cult cache of a Watchmen or a Jonah Hex — two non-mainstream comics that previously scored big-screen treatments. (Disastrously, in the latter case.) As Marvel discovered with the similarly D-list title Guardians of the Galaxy though, that lack of familiarity can actually be a boon since it grants the filmmakers freer reign to reimagine the comic on their own terms and build anticipation from the ground up. From the pick of director to the newly assembled cast, Suicide Squad has yet to make a predictable decision. Here’s hoping it all adds up to an unexpected delight.
Photo credit: Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File
