suicide squad
Will Smith is set to star as the assassin Deadshot, along with Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Jared Leto as the Joker, in director David Ayer's "Suicide Squad," based on a DC Comics series. DC Comics

Warner Bros. Pictures announced the cast for its feature "Suicide Squad," with two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith as the villain Deadshot and Oscar winner Jared Leto as the Joker. The film, described by director David Ayer as a supervillain version of "The Dirty Dozen," is scheduled to begin shooting next year.

Margot Robbie will appear as Harley Quinn, and Tom Hardy as Rick Flag. Jai Courtney will star as Boomerang and Cara Delevingne will be the Enchantress. The team of supervillains first appeared in DC Comics in 1959.

Jesse Eisenberg was rumored to play Lex Luthor, but Warner Bros. did not mention his involvement. The "Social Network" star will appear as the wealthy villain in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," due out in March.

"The Warner Bros. roots are deep on this one. David Ayer returns to the studio where he wrote 'Training Day’ and brings his incredible ability to craft multidimensional villains to this iconic DC property with a cast of longtime Warner collaborators Will Smith and Tom Hardy, and other new and returning favorites: Margot, Jared, Jai and Cara," Greg Silverman, president of creative development at Warner Bros. Pictures, said in a press release. "We look forward to seeing this terrific ensemble, under Ayer’s amazing guidance, give new meaning to what it means to be a villain and what it means to be a hero.”

RELATED STORIES