Following Warner Bros.’ big announcement that Suicide Squad would be their first DC movie following Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, word surfaced that the studio was courting Will Smith, Tom Hardy, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling to star. The DC comic focuses on a group of supervillains who go on suicide missions in exchange for pardons. None of these supervillains are household names. There’s no Joker or Lex Luthor in the gang. In the comics, the lineup has changed over the years, but last week, it was rumored that Deadshot, Harkness (a.k.a Captain Boomerang), Vixen, Blockbuster, Multiplex, Jaculi, and Mindblogger would comprise the squad with the first three acting as the leads.

A couple days ago when we reported that WB was going after Smith, Hardy, Robbie, and Gosling for the film, it seemed fairly audacious. Now that audacity may have landed three of the four actors. Hit the jump for more. Suicide Squad is due out August 5, 2016.

According to Deadline, Smith and Hardy are “close” to signing on and Robbie is “looking likely”.

When I first saw the names WB was courting, my reaction was, “Yes, it’s nice to dream big. Good on you.” But perhaps these three stars aren’t so unlikely.

First, the men-on-a-mission genre is interesting, and no one has done it with supervillains. Additionally, these characters would be largely unknown to audiences, so there’s room for the actor to leave their mark rather than being second-guessed as to whether or not they’re a good fit for a more popular baddie like The Riddler or Catwoman. Granted, signing on to a movie like Suicide Squad usually entails a multi-picture deal, but there’s also security in having a solid franchise if other pictures flounder. Finally, as part of a team movie, it’s not resting entirely on their shoulders as it would be if they were going solo.

That’s not to say any of these actors would shy away from playing a lead hero in a comic book movie, but the balance of Suicide Squad might be appealing, and none of them currently has a successful franchise. Will Smith’s star has declined over the past few years. He’s still a draw, and would probably still be the lead among the leads, but when it comes to a franchise Men in Black is probably dead. Hardy might get his own if Mad Max: Fury Road is a success, but that doesn’t open until May 2015. As for Robbie, her star is rising fast, and getting on a movie like Suicide Squad could help sustain her momentum.