In rather unexpected news this evening, The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Tom Hardy has just abandoned Warner Bros.' highly-anticipated Suicide Squad movie, in which he would have portrayed the team's leader Rick Flag. According to The Wrap, it was the English actor's filming commitment to The Revenant, which is "going over schedule," as well as upcoming promotional duties for Mad Max: Fury Road that forced him to exit the 2016 DC Comics adaptation. While this news might seem sudden, it appears that David Ayer is already courting Hardy's replacement. The Wrap further reveals that actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who Ayer had directed in 2012's End of Watch is now being offered the Rick Flag role. Warner Bros. has yet to comment, but what do you think?



Praised most recently for his role in Nightwatcher, Jake Gyllenhaal has very recently expressed interest in jumping on the superhero bandwagon. Long before he made the shortlist for Marvel's Doctor Strange, which eventually went to Benedict Cumberbatch, Gyllenhaal almost replaced Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 2, and he even auditioned for the Caped Crusader in Batman Begins. So, if his schedule allows him to, there's a great chance he'll accept Warner Bros.' Suicide Squad offer.

Directed David Ayer from his screenplay, Suicide Squad stars Will Smith (Deadshot), Viola Davis (Amanda Waller), Jared Leto (the Joker), Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Jai Courtney (Boomerang), with Cara Delevingne (Enchantress)& Jessie Eisenberg (Lex Luther). The film opens August 5, 2016!