The all-star Suicide Squad cast just lost one of its brightest. Tom Hardy dropped out Thursday, leaving the DC Comics movie adaptation without a Rick Flagg.
The Warner Bros. summer tentpole directed by David Ayer (Fury, Training Day) follows classic DC villains who are forced to become heroes. Will Smith, Margot Robie and Jared Leto are starring as Batman villains Deadshot, Harley Quinn and the Joker, respectively. Ayer’s first pick for Hardy’s replacement is Jake Gyllenhaal, according to The Wrap.
Hardy’s rep said the actor was leaving the film due to a tight schedule.
The Dark Knight Rises star is currently shooting Oscar nominee and Birdman director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s next film, a Western with Leonardo DiCaprio called The Revenant, which is running over schedule. Hardy is also committed to a press tour for this summer’s Mad Max: Fury Road.
Suicide Squad is set to hit theaters Aug. 5, 2016.
[The Wrap]
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year
- TIME’s Top 10 Photos of 2024
- Why Gen Z Is Drinking Less
- The Best Movies About Cooking
- Why Is Anxiety Worse at Night?
- A Head-to-Toe Guide to Treating Dry Skin
- Why Street Cats Are Taking Over Urban Neighborhoods
- Column: Jimmy Carter’s Global Legacy Was Moral Clarity
Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com