Karen Fukuhara Discusses Her “Refreshing” Role In Suicide Squad

Aside from getting the chance to see Harley Quinn for the first time on the big screen, one of the many cool things about Suicide Squad is that it will also do the same for characters such as Katana. Heroes and villains who were previously known only to more diehard fans now have the chance to reach a broader audience and showcase the true depth of the DC Universe.

As opposed to characters such as El Diablo or Enchantress, Katana has at least had the benefit of permeating public consciousness through various forms of media in recent years. Not only was she a recurring character on the hit CW series Arrow, but she was also a series regular on the CGI animated show Beware The Batman, which was unfortunately cancelled after only one season. Fans of those small screen adventures, in addition to avid comic book readers, know how truly badass she can be though and admire her strong sense of conviction.

Karen Fukuhara, a newcomer to the silver screen, is most fortunate in landing what many of us would probably call the role of a lifetime. The honor is not lost on her either, as she spoke freely about it during a recent interview with Playboy.

“As a first-generation Japanese American, I’ve always wanted to play a samurai warrior like my Suicide Squad character, Katana. Samurai are almost always male, so growing up in America I had a hard time figuring out role models. Katana and I may not have the same personality, but coming from the same cultural upbringing, we share core values. In Japanese culture there’s this idea of putting others before yourself, but I’ve also never wanted to let myself down. Someone recently told me how refreshing it is to see an Asian woman as a superhero. That stuck with me. Stand up for yourself and what you love.”

From the sound of that, Katana seems to be a dream role for Fukuhara. The film may shine the spotlight on villains for the most part, but Katana is actually one of the more heroic of the bunch and probably just found herself in Amanda Waller’s crosshairs at the wrong time.

Suicide Squad opens in theaters on August 5th. Tell us, are you looking forward to seeing the actress bring Katana to life? Sound off below with your thoughts.