With just a few casting moves, the potential Suicide Squad being set up at Warner Bros. is starting to sound just as enticing – if not a little more intriguing – than the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice production that’s supposed to expand on the nascent DC Cinematic Universe. David Ayer is supposed to direct. Jared Leto might play The Joker. And Margot Robbie, of The Wolf of Wall Street, could have her sights set on playing the Joker’s maniacal soul mate, Harley Quinn.
This, according to Collider, which quotes sources to report that Margot Robbie "will play Harley Quinn" in the villain ensemble thriller. The Joker’s main squeeze has been an integral part of all of our pre-production plans for Suicide Squad, which is supposed to take a gaggle of bad guys and send them off on missions sponsored by our government (in exchange for reducing their prison sentences). Harley Quinn has been a key member of multiple iterations of the Suicide Squad teams in the comic books, so introducing her on screen would seem like a no brainer.
Casting Margot Robbie also makes a lot of sense, even if we haven’t seen a lot of her outside of Martin Scorsese’s award-winner The Wolf of Wall Street. Since holding serve with Leonardo DiCaprio, the beautiful blonde has scored roles in Warner Bros.’ Tarzan and Focus, opposite Will Smith (who also has been rumored to play a part in Suicide Squad). Her star is on the rise, and her profile could be significantly boosted by the time Suicide Squad makes it to theaters in 2016.
Here’s what I initially found odd about the Suicide Squad movie (and what I continue to find strange about it, I guess). The timing of it all. The movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters the same year as Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman. Which means there is no lead time to introduce a team of crazed villains in previous films. This will have to be an origin story for pretty much all of these villains, even if you have a new Joker played by a different actor. So casting actors with some recognition, I think, will help this movie in its initial push. Margot Robbie is gorgeous. Will she be able to tap into the deranged lunacy that is Harley Quinn? How will she play off of Jared Leto’s Joker (if that casting comes to fruition)? And who will be the next major name added to this suddenly compelling ensemble? Stay tuned!
