Suicide Squad Reboot Reportedly Casts Ant-Man's David Dastmalchian

The DC and Marvel universes collide as reports have surfaced that Ant-Man actor David Dastmalchian (Blade Runner 2049, Bird Box) is joining James Gunn's Suicide Squad reboot at Warner Bros.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Dastmalchian has "closed a deal" and will play the villainous role of Polka-Dot Man. This means he will stand against Jai Courtney's (Alita: Battle Angel, Suicide Squad) Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnaman's (RoboCop, Suicide Squad) Rick Flag, Margot Robbie's (I, Tonya, Suicide Squad) Harley Quinn, Viola Davis' (Ender's Game, Suicide Squad) Amanda Waller, and Idris Elba's (The Dark Tower, Thor: Ragnarok) undisclosed character.

It's been known that Gunn's The Suicide Squad is a complete reboot, but THR reveals that, while plot details remain unknown, "the project is described as a new take on the property from the mind of Gunn that will feature a mix of new and old characters." Some of the new characters are Ratcatcher (played by Daniela Melchior), Peacemaker (currently uncast), King Shark (currently uncast), and Dastmalchian's Polka-Dot Man.

Created by the late Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris, the Polka-Dot Man (real name Abner Krill) is a minor Batman villain. He first appeared in Detective Comics #300 in 1962 and has since made a name for himself on account of how he commits his crimes and the way he dresses: everything's spotted, always. For example, he normally carries and deploys spots that transform into buzzsaws and flying saucers on command.

In other casting news, WWE superstar John Cena is reprotedly in talks to join Gunn's The Suicide Squad cast. Exactly who his character is and whether he will officially take the role remains to be seen. Cena may also join Fast and the Furious veterans Vin Diesel (The Fate of the Furious. XXX: Return of Xander Cage) and Tyrese Gibson (The Fate of the Furious, Transformers: Dark of the Moon) in Fast 9, which is set to hit theaters on May 22, 2020.

Will Smith dropped out of the Suicide Squad reboot reportedly due to scheduling conflicts. Elba was set to replace Smith as Deadshot but the character has since been dropped from the movie altogether. The Suicide Squad is slated to debut on August 5, 2021.