Suicide Squad Movie 2016 Release Date, Cast, and News Update

May 23, 2015 06:47 PM EDT

Expectations are high for the 2016 Suicide Squad movie, based on comic books from DC.  It is very clear that DC intends to have their own Cinematic Universe based on its intellectual properties and characters like Marvel has been doing.  Here is what we know about the Release Date, Cast, and News Update for the Suicide Squad movie.

A recent shot of the fully assembled team appeared at the beginning of the month. According to IGN, it was a tweet by the film's director David Ayer, and they are, from left to right, Slipknot (Adam Beach), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Enchantress (Cara Delevingne), Katana (Karen Fukuhara), Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Deadshot (Will Smith), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and El Diablo (Jay Hernandez). 

This is a shot that has made a lot of people nervous, and two cast members are oddly absent.  One of them is Viola Davis, who plays Amanda Waller, the government bureaucrat who essentially leads the team from the office, while Rick Flag leads form the field.  It is interesting to see that Rick Flag has finally been recast, as he was originally supposed to be played by Mad Max: Fury Road star Tom Hardy. 

The other absentee is The Joker, who will be played by Jared Leto.  A recent photo of Leto in Joker makeup appeared on the Internet, and it struck a negative chord with a lot of fans.  Many criticized the tattoos as well as the great amount of them.  Still, there was a similar backlash when Heath Ledger unveiled his Joker look online before he portrayed the iconic Batman villain in The Dark Knight, and he was eventually praised for his performance.   

For those unfamiliar with the source material from DC comics, Suicide Squad is a comic book about a team of super-heroes.  What made Suicide Squad different from other team books is that the team was not super-heroes, but actually super-villains.  These super-villains were required to go on secret missions in exchange for a reduced prison sentence. 

The all-star cast of comic book characters and A-list celebrities is only one reason why expectations are high for this superhero/supervillain team film.  This movie aims to set the stage for future movies in the DC cinematic universe.  This 2016 movie had better be a hit for DC, as many are in doubt that Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice will actually be the hit that DC needs to expand DC's Cinematic Universe.  If the Batman/Superman film fails, then a failure of Suicide Squad might lead DC to seriously rethink their plans for their movies based on their source material. 

One of the big questions about Suicide Squad is the involvement of Batman.  Screenrant says that there could be a cameo from the new Batman, who will be played by Ben Affleck after making his debut as the caped crusader in Dawn of Justice

Suicide Squad isn't one of those properties that doesn't require Batman to operate, as it takes place in an expanded DC universe where the heroes and villains have already been established.  iDigitalTimes has stated that the DC Cinematic universe Batman will be a big boogeyman that the government really hates.  Since the Joker is the only one to really even get to know him, this is going to be the reason why he will be so important to the Squad. 

I have already stated my theories of what the plot of Suicide Squad will be.  Unlike the hit 2012 Avengers film, where all of the characters had a movie to introduce them, Suicide Squad will need to introduce their characters one at a time.  We will have to see them in action where we can see a demonstration of their personalities as well as their special abilities.  I would imagine that we would also see them getting caught, and then all be assembled in one room as part of their rehabilitation program.  Of course they will need a mission, and wouldn't it be funny if they were all assigned to take down the Batman?  If so, then Ben Affleck would have to make an appearance. 

Expect to see Suicide Squad in theaters on August 5th, 2016, and hope that the film delivers what it is supposed to for DC Comics Cinematic Universe.