If a report from surprisingly credible scoop site, Latino Review is any indication, Warner Bros. and DC have found their Amanda Waller for 2016’s Suicide Squad movie. Apparently, Viola Davis is the studio’s choice for the role, and is now in final negotiations, beating out the also-considered Oprah Winfrey and Octavia Spencer.
Warner Bros. nor DC have yet issued confirmation on the casting, but it’s probable that negotiations with Davis may be a bit lengthy. Davis has a busy TV schedule to negotiate around, thanks to her high-profile gig as the lead of well-received new mystery television series, How to Get Away with Murder, and given Amanda Waller’s huge presence in the DC Universe, it’s guaranteed that she’ll need to be signed for more movies than just Suicide Squad. Earlier reports claim that Waller has at least a cameo in the preceding DC Cinematic Universe movie of 2016, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as well, to set up for Suicide Squad.
Waller also happens to be the last lead role to fill for Suicide Squad, which recently had the rest of its lead cast finalized. The movie features Will Smith as lead character, Deadshot, and as rumoured, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and Jared Leto as the movie’s supposed antagonist, The Joker. Tom Hardy is also portraying the squad’s leader, Rick Flag, with Jai Courtney and Cara Delevingne as Boomerang and Enchantress respectively.
In DC Comics and other DC media, Amanda Waller is a highly imposing government agent that serves as handler and overseer of the Suicide Squad, properly known as Task Force X, among other fictional DC organizations. She also regularly deals with keeping tabs on the superheroes of the DC Universe, and can range from being a villain to an anti-hero for the ensemble Justice League in particular. The key motive of the Suicide Squad is Waller conscripting super-villains to do dangerous government black ops work, promising them their freedom from imprisonment, at the cost of doing missions that will likely get them killed, which is where the informal name, ‘Suicide Squad’ comes from.
Waller previously appeared in a small part in 2011’s ill-fated and self-contained Green Lantern movie, portrayed by Angela Bassett. While not the fault of Bassett, this appearance was heavily criticized by fans for having absolutely nothing to do with Waller’s character, and ultimately serving no purpose in the story. Fortunately, Waller has had two far-better-received appearances on live-action television as well, with Pam Greer portraying the character on now-wrapped Superman prequel series, Smallville, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson playing the recurring role of Waller on current Green Arrow-starring series, Arrow.
Suicide Squad will be directed by David Ayer, and is set to come to theatres on August 5th, 2016.
Keep conscripting Eggplante for all news and updates on Suicide Squad, and the DC Cinematic Universe as a whole.