‘Suicide Squad’ Reportedly Eyeing Karl Urban for Rick Flag, Plus Details on The Joker and Possible Batman Cameo

Late last week it was reported that WB was eyeing Joel Edgerton and Jon Bernthal as possible replacements for Tom Hardy, who recently dropped out of ‘Suicide Squad.’ And now an even bigger casting report has emerged, adding Karl Urban to the mix of potential Hardy replacements, and offering details on Jared Leto’s Joker, plus a possible cameo from Ben Affleck’s Batman.

According to a new report from JoBlo, WB is considering ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Dredd’ star Karl Urban as a possible candidate to replace Tom Hardy in the role of Rick Flag, the de facto leader of the Suicide Squad. It was also recently rumored that Urban is being considered for a role in ‘Aquaman,’ in which he might play the villain. The new report says that Urban is still in the mix for the ‘Aquaman’ role, but it depends on which draft of the script WB selects (they’ve commissioned three different scripts).

But that’s not all—WB is also casting Rick Flag’s father, Rick Flag Sr., and are reportedly eyeing Ed Harris and Max Martini for the part. The studio is also apparently looking to cast General Lane (Lois Lane’s dad) and the Thinker, and though no actors are currently being rumored for the former, the report notes that Geoffrey Rush has already passed on playing the Thinker.

As previously rumored, Joe Manganiello is the top choice for the role of Deathstroke, but the new report adds Jason Clarke’s name as a candidate, noting that Deathstroke will neither be a team member or a bodyguard, but a “hired assassin that is competing with the Suicide Squad.”

As for Batman and the Joker, it’s reported that Leto’s Joker will have many scars all over his body from his long career of battling Batman. He’s also in the habit of playing “mind games with people and twists [their] minds,” which makes this version of the Joker a bit more cerebral.

Ben Affleck’s Batman is connected to the film, and is of particular interest to government agent and Suicide Squad wrangler Amanda Waller. The caped crusader is “mentioned in the script and even shown on surveillance cameras,” although a cameo from Affleck seems largely dependent on his increasingly tight schedule.

None of the above details have yet been confirmed, so take ‘em with a grain of salt for the time being. ‘Suicide Squad’ is scheduled to hit theaters on August 5, 2016.