While Suicide Squad won't be released until August, Margot Robbie already looks set to deliver a standout performance as Harley Quinn. Robbie's whimsical, unhinged portrayal of the character in the trailers alone have earned massive praise from fans, and according to the actress, she was pushed by director David Ayer to give a "vicious" performance. “David really wanted her to be strong, badass and nuts – but fun as well. Whenever I would be inclined to play into the comedy or play her more likable, he’d always direct me the other way. He wanted her to be pretty vicious.” In both the comics and the animated series in which she originated, Harley has always walked a fine line between humour and insanity, and it looks like this iteration of Harley will be sticking pretty close to that.
Viola Davis, who portrays Squad founder Amanda Waller, notes that while her character has no special abilities to speak of, she worked hard to channel her inner badass. “‘How can I be a badass?’ I had to do it internally. Of course I wore my ‘fro. And I embraced her bio. That was all I had. I didn’t have a cape or a golden lasso.” Karen Fukuhara, who plays Katana, says her character's “samurai spirit” is something she has been “watching and learning about”, and also admitted to doing her research by reading the source material. “I felt like I knew Katana as soon as I read the comic."
Suicide Squad releases August 5, 2016.
About The Author:
Matt is a graduate of the Ryerson University School of Journalism, and has been a fan of superheroes since he picked up his first comic book issue as a child. While he works as a professional musician, Matt has a massive passion for comic books, films and heroes, along with participating in discussion and debate with the CBM community.