Robocop remake lead actor Joel Kinnaman is now considered the leading candidate to replace Tom Hardy, who bailed out of the role of Rick Flagg, the "leader" of the film adaptation of DC Comics’ Suicide Squad, which is coming from Warner Bros. and director David Ayer on August 5th, 2016. Hardy, who was the original choice to play Flagg, left the project due to "scheduling difficulties" early this year (see "Tom Hardy Leaves 'Suicide Squad'").
Citing multiple sources with knowledge of the production, The Wrap reports that Kinnaman definitely has the role, while other sites indicate that he is the leading candidate to replace Hardy. Several sites speculate that Hardy left when the role of Rick Flagg was reduced in favor of that of The Joker, who is being played by Jared Leto. Early reports had Jake Gyllenhaal as a potential Rick Flagg, but evidently that didn’t work out either. While Kinnaman is an accomplished actor, he lacks the panache that marks Hardy as one of the best thespians of his generation, though with a big cast that also includes Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Jai Courtney, Hardy’s defection may not make much difference at the box office.
Can 'Robocop' Replace 'Bane'?
Posted by ICv2 on February 13, 2015 @ 5:03 pm CT