Just when it seemed that casting was locked in for the Warner Bros. adaptation of DC’s Suicide Squad, the other shoe has dropped.
Tom Hardy, who had been signed to play the role of Rick Flagg, has now dropped out of the project. According to Variety, Hardy had to leave the role because of scheduling conflicts. Hardy’s shooting schedule for The Revnant and his upcoming publicity tour for the May 15th release of Mad Max: Fury Road are two likely reasons he needed to drop out of Suicide Squad, which is scheduled to begin shooting in April.
However, it would appear that Hardy’s loss could be Jake Gyllenhaal’s gain. The Wrap reports that Gyllenhaal is now being looked at to replace Hardy as Rick Flagg. While it may not be an Oscar nomination, it would be a great opportunity to work with an amazing cast – provided everybody else doesn’t jump ship too.
Neither Gyllenhaal nor representatives from Warner Bros. have made any comment about this casting rumor as of yet. However, with cameras set to role in April, a casting decision needs to be made soon. Gyllenhaal and the movie’s director, David Ayers, have already established a rapport since they have already worked together twice on End of Watch and Nightcrawler. Therefore, Ayers should have a good idea if Gyllenhaal is a good fit for this particular role.
Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney, Cara Delevigne, Jared Leto, and Viola Davis are still set to appear in the movie, while Jesse Eisenberg is still in talks to reprise his role of Lex Luthor after his first appearance in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Let’s just hope, with the film in preproduction, nobody else finds reason to go AWOL from the Suicide Squad.