Smallville actor Michael Rosenbaum explained why he turned down a role in James Gunn‘s The Suicide Squad.
Speaking to ComicBook.com, the 47-year-old actor revealed he had to turn down The Suicide Squad due to a neck injury. “It was close,” said Rosenbaum. “Let’s just say I was supposed to be in it, but I had neck surgery and I couldn’t do a role. I couldn’t do the role because it was too physical at that time, and I couldn’t jeopardize my neck, but there was the role.”
Unfortunately, Rosenbaum wouldn’t reveal which undisclosed role he was up for. “I won’t say the role, but there was the role,” he continued. “James is always so gracious and kind and reached out and so I think when the time’s right… look, it’s nice when your friends think of you, it’s nice when your friends have a part.”
Gunn‘s soft reboot of David Ayer‘s 2016’s Suicide Squad will include newcomers like Idris Elba, John Cena and David Dastmalchian alongside returning stars, including Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis and Margot Robbie. Meanwhile, previous Gunn collaborators like Nathan Fillion and Michael Rooker are also attached, as is Gunn’s brother, Sean.
As well as playing Lex Luthor on Smallville for its first seven seasons and returning for the finale, Rosenbaum teamed up with Gunn for a minor role as Martinex in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Gunn is holding back work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 until he’s done with The Suicide Squad, but fans might not have seen the last of Martinex. As for The Suicide Squad, Rosenbaum‘s long history of playing DC characters in a variety of mediums makes him a logical choice for the supervillain ensemble. If the reboot of Suicide Squad proves more successful than the original, perhaps a follow-up will see Gunn and Rosenbaum finally work together in the DC Universe.
Written and directed by James Gunn, The Suicide Squad stars Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, David Dastmalchian, John Cena, Joaquin Cosio, Nathan Fillion, Mayling Ng, Flula Borg, Sean Gunn, Juan Diego Botto, Storm Reid, Pete Davidson, Taika Waititi, Alice Braga, Steve Agee, Tinashe Kajese, Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi, Julio Ruiz, Jennifer Holland, Idris Elba and Michael Rooker. The film is scheduled for an August 6, 2021 release date.