Tom Hardy Nearly Starred in a Flop DCEU Movie—but One Role Saved His Career

Tom Hardy was almost part of the DCEU when he was considered for the role of Rick Flag in Suicide Squad (2016). The Oscar-nominated actor was set to join the film but had to step away due to scheduling conflicts. Joel Kinnaman eventually played Rick Flag instead.

Hardy later explained that his commitments to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s historical drama The Revenant made it impossible to film Suicide Squad. “[The Revenant] overshot by three months, and the production turned into a much bigger beast than we thought,” Hardy said during the media tour for Mad Max: Fury Road.

While he regretted missing the chance to work on David Ayer’s script, Hardy avoided being part of a movie that was heavily criticized.

Despite earning $749 million worldwide, Suicide Squad received poor reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 26% approval rating, and Metacritic scored it 40 out of 100.

Critics described the plot as messy and the characters underdeveloped. Rolling Stone called it “anything but super,” Vanity Fair called it “ugly and boring,” and the Wall Street Journal called it “trash.” Even though some reviewers praised Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, the film’s overall reception was negative.

Director David Ayer later admitted he wished he had done parts of the film differently. He described Suicide Squad as his “biggest Hollywood heartbreak” and said the movie “handed me my ass.” Joel Kinnaman also expressed disappointment, saying the movie started strong but didn’t meet expectations in the end.

Hardy, who had already gained fame playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, avoided being tied to a critically panned project. While missing out on a major comic book movie might seem like a loss, it likely helped him maintain his reputation as a serious actor and continue taking on strong, well-received roles.

Tom Hardy’s decision worked out well for his career. Sometimes passing on a high-profile project can protect an actor’s reputation, especially when the movie faces major creative issues. Do you think Hardy made the right choice, or should he have taken the role anyway? Share your thoughts in the comments.