Tom Hardy – buff, brash, and bestially charismatic – was far from a household name before Christopher Nolan strapped him in a voice-altering face mask and pitted him against Christian Bale’s gravel-voiced Batman in The Dark Knight Rises. Now, one can’t mention the top-tier of Hollywood’s leading men, especially those leading men that hail from across the ‘ol pond, without citing Hardy and his unique brand of brooding machismo and charm. Because of his growing ubiquity, many fans were left mouth-agape when it was announced that he would be playing the role of Rick Flagg in Warner Brothers’ Suicide Squad, which will also star Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, and Jai Courtney.
Unfortunately, it has now been reported that Hardy will be leaving the project, as his press commitments for Mad Max: Fury Road and shooting schedule for Alejandro Inarritu’s The Revenant came into conflict with the film’s production. It is still too early to lament the loss, though; it is now being rumored that Jake Gyllenhaal may be Hardy’s replacement, and such a deft casting maneuver should never warrant complaint. So, although Hardy’s presence will be missed, we have faith that he will continue his streak of impeccable role choices. But, what do you think? Would you rather see Hardy or Gyllenhaal in the Squad?
