Joel Kinnaman Talks Having Leeway With Rick Flag In Suicide Squad

Earlier today, Joel Kinnaman ("RoboCop") confirmed that he'll be playing Rick Flag, leader of Amanda Waller's team of super-villains, in David Ayer's Suicide Squad and now he has provided some more information his approach and preparation for the role.

Kinnaman is doing press right now for his new film Run All Night, which also stars Liam Neeson, and was asked if he can own the role because no one has made a definitive version of the team's field commander. "Yeah, for sure," Kinnaman told Uproxx. "And you want the backstory of the character, but I think this is also a universe that David Ayer is going to create – there's a lot more. Also, when you're doing the first movie in a comic book, you always have the leeway of you're going to move it from a comic book to a film and put it in real life – you're always going to make a lot of changes and create a new universe. So you're kind of setting a precedent. When you're remaking a movie that's already been made and a character that was made for the film, then it becomes a different thing and it's more difficult to create something new without offending some people."

He says he wasn't familiari with Rick Flag when he was offered the part. When he reached out to his friend Daniel Espinosa, director of Safe House and Child 44, he wasn't even sure who Flag was and he is said to be an authority on comic books. Although, Kinnaman says Espinosa is more of a Marvel guy than DC.

Kinnaman also spoke with Collider, who noticed his the scruff on his chin and asked him if he would have to shave it off for Flag. ""Maybe. Maybe not," Kinnaman said coyly. Kinnaman has a very busy scheducle at the moment as he is still filming scenes for Alejandro G. Inarritu's The Revenant in Northern Ontario and then on the weekends he hustles over to Toronto to prep for Suicide Squad, which will begin principal photography next month.

"The story's dope and David is just, he's cool," Kinnaman exclaimed about the film's plot and director. "You know, I think you're always afraid when you go into like a big superhero movie that it's gonna be kinda just action and you're not gonna be able to just really go to the bottom of the characters, but I think he's gonna be able to do both, really give it both depth and scale. Yeah, all the conversations that we've had so far have been like, 'Wow. Okay, we're really going there.' So that's fun."

Suicide Squad will land in theaters Aug. 5, 2016.