Will Smith Explains Why He Chose Suicide Squad Over Independence Day

Years ago, when director Roland Emmerich first began working on a sequel to Independence Day, Will [...]

Years ago, when director Roland Emmerich first began working on a sequel to Independence Day, Will Smith was on board and excited to reprise his role as Steven Hiller, but he opted out after he had an poor experience filming Men in Black 3 (2012) and After Earth (2013) struggled at the box office.

Emmerich approached Smith again when a script for Independence Day: Resurgence completed and ready to go, but Smith passed on the offer so that he could play Deadshot (a.k.a. Floyd Lawton) in David Ayer's comic book movie, Suicide Squad.

While promoting his upcoming drama Collateral Beauty, Smith explained why he chose Suicide Squad over the Independence Day sequel. "I had the two screenplays in front of me for the Independence Day 2 and for Suicide Squad. I had to choose between the two of those," Smith told EW. "Even the choice of going to Suicide Squad — nothing about the qualities of the movie — but the choice of trying to go forward versus clinging and clawing backwards. I do want to aggressively go forward and do new things and create and hopefully be able to stumble upon a new heyday."

To explain Smith's glaring absence from Resurgence, Hiller was killed off-screen. A documentary-like viral video was released that explained and showed how Hiller died while test piloting the first Earth Space Defense (ESD) alien hybrid fighter. Click here, to check that out.

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Assemble a team of the world's most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government's disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren't picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it's every man for himself?

Written and directed by David Ayer, the film starred Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, and Viola Davis. The cast also included Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood, Cara Delevingne, Adam Beach, and Karen Fukuhara in her feature film debut.

MORE: Alternate Suicide Squad Costume Designs for Harley Quinn, Enchantress, And More / Doctor Strange Fights Kaecilius And His Zealots In New Concept Art / Marvel's Doctor Strange Concept Art Explores The Mirror Dimension / Unused Alien Creature And Spaceship Concept Art for Arrival / Cool Doctor Strange And Mordo Concept Art

Suicide Squad: The Extended Cut is now available on Digital HD and wil be released on Blu-ray (4K and 3D) on December 13.

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