Falling short of expectations, the 2016 film The Suicide Squad starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, and Jared Leto turned out to be a box-office disaster. Despite being one of the most streamed DCEU films on HBO Max, the movie could only collect $747 million worldwide. However, not many are aware that the makers envisioned a more stellar cast for the movie, including actors like Tom Hardy and Ryan Gosling.
In a move during the Snyderverse that promised an extraordinary ensemble cast to rival the Marvel universe, Warner Bros. and DC Comics reportedly extended firm offers to Ryan Gosling, Tom Hardy, Will Smith, and Margot Robbie around eight years ago for their highly anticipated comic book franchise, Suicide Squad.
What happened with Ryan Gosling and Tom Hardy after the offer?
The Suicide Squad revolves around a group of reformed criminals that were enlisted by the US government to undertake covert operations, offering them reduced prison sentences in return. Penned by David Ayer, acclaimed director and writer of Fury, Ayer’s involvement, combined with the potential casting coup, hinted at a project that could have led to something truly exceptional.
Tom Hardy, who now portrays the role of Eddie Brock in Marvel’s Venom revealed that he was forced to drop out of the project due to scheduling conflicts. He said,
“Warner Bros. is my home studio and I love them so I was really bummed out. I wanted to work on that and I know the script is really fucking alley and I also know what’s gonna happen with The Joker and Harley Quinn in that; I won’t give away too much…it’s fucking alley.”
Moreover, while highlighting his scheduling conflicts, he added,
“There’s a very practical element as to why I’ve missed out on that foray, which is because Alejandro [G. Inarritu] has overshot by three months in Calgary, so we’ve got to go back out to Patagonia or Alaska to continue shooting The Revenant which has turned into a much bigger beast than we thought, but that also looks exceptional.”
On the other hand, Ryan Gosling was reported to be in discussions for another comic book role: Doctor Strange (eventually played by Benedict Cumberbatch) in the Marvel Universe back then. Hence, Gosling’s potential involvement in two major comic book franchises seemed like an improbable scenario back then. Moreover, Gosling, on several occasions has resisted joining a superhero-style film, especially the ones that demanded him to appear in sequels.
But no one remembers the time when Ryan Gosling actually played a superhero
Not known to many, Ryan Gosling made a brief foray into the superhero genre with the little-known 1999 television movie The Unbelievables. The 23-minute short followed a group of retired blue-collar crime-fighting superheroes known as the Unbelievables, who have settled into suburban life, occasionally reuniting for poker nights while navigating the challenges of parenthood.
Gosling, who was around 18 years old back then portrayed the character of Josh, the teenage son of Action Armstrong (played by Corbin Bernsen). A crucial member of the superhero squad, Josh possessed his own powers, however, he was seen squandering them on trivial pursuits, such as attempting to slam dunk a basketball with his flight abilities.
The Unbelievables, written and directed by Ed Solomon, who is famous for his work on Bill & Ted and Men in Black, presented a unique take on the superhero genre. Predating Pixar’s acclaimed film The Incredibles, The Unbelievables followed a similar premise but with less success. Thus remaining as an intriguing and often forgotten entry in Ryan Gosling’s early career.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Collider, Collider
