D.C. Comics’ Suicide Squad is coming to life with a film adaptation starring Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margo Robbie and Tom Hardy, Warner Bros. announced Tuesday.
Smith’s addition, first reported by the Hollywood Reporter, is among the new announcements in a cast whose members had mostly been previously said to be in talks for the David Ayer-directed film. Other cast members include Jai Courtney and Cara Delevingne.
Smith, who turned down Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained because he wasn’t cast as the lead role, will play Deadshot, the film’s lead and the enemy to Batman, Warner Bros. confirmed. Hardy will star as Rick Flag, the Squad’s leader; Leto will play Joker, Batman’s archenemy; and Robbie will be Harley Quinn, Joker’s girlfriend and accomplice. Courtney is set to play Boomerang, and Delevingne will be Enchantress.
The film is expected to start shooting next April with a release date set for Aug. 5, 2016.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Introducing the 2024 TIME100 Next
- The Reinvention of J.D. Vance
- How to Survive Election Season Without Losing Your Mind
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Scams
- Did the Pandemic Break Our Brains?
- The Many Lives of Jack Antonoff
- 33 True Crime Documentaries That Shaped the Genre
- Why Gut Health Issues Are More Common in Women
Contact us at letters@time.com