Though he wasn’t initially part of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, when Tom Hardy bowed out to accommodate The Revenant‘s prolonged production, House of Cards star Joel Kinnaman jumped at the opportunity to enlist in Warner Bros.’ nuthouse.
He’ll be playing Rick Flag, a grizzled, elite soldier working under the black ops unit that birthed Task Force X. That places Kinnaman in close proximity to Amanda Waller, as the pair help get the unhinged squad members out of Belle Reve and onto the streets of Midway.
In anticipation of Suicide Squad‘s opening on Friday, August 5, the actor spoke to Variety regarding Jared Leto’s by-now infamous set antics, along with the possibility of reprising his role for sequels. First up, Kinnaman addressed Leto’s “magnetic” rendition of the Clown Prince of Crime.
Yeah, he sure did. It was amazing to watch him work. I knew Jared before. I knew him personally. But I didn’t see that guy throughout the whole shoot. I met Mr. J. a couple of times. He was magnetic. He pulled off an amazing performance. The commitment and the concentration that he had was inspiring to watch.
On the topic of Suicide Squad sequels, which is all but confirmed at this stage in the game, the actor conceded that the future of Ayer’s blockbuster rests in the hands of the audience.
We’ll see. Maybe we’ll make more “Suicide Squad” movies. Who knows? The audience will decide. If there’s like military involved in one of the other films than maybe they’ll call me. You can definitely see how Amanda Waller [the government agent played by Viola Davis] has a place in the other films. Maybe I’ll tag along with her.
Last and certainly not least, Variety went on to quiz the actor about the purported reshoots, which brought David Ayer’s tentpole back onto the streets of Toronto earlier this year. Pointing to Suicide Squad‘s status as a $125 million blockbuster, Kinnaman admitted that it’s not all that surprising Warner Bros. ordered reshoots.
No. We did 95% action. It was just added action. That was a constructed narrative. It surprised me that it gets traction with people who should understand the film business better. Any film with a $125 or $135 million budget always has a block of re-shoots. Some do a week and some do a full month.
Suicide Squad is due to make its long-anticipated bow on August 5. In related news, earlier today, a new shot unveiled June Moone’s dark side.
