Deadshot is the new American sniper. Kinda. Will Smith’s troubled assassin is a marksman whose deadly aim is put into the service of Suicide Squad in David Ayer’s new comic-book movie, but a jutting-jawed patriot this guy emphatically isn’t. Here, on Empire’s fourth and final newsstand cover, is the man himself in full combat regalia and boasting enough ammo to fill even John Woo’s bullet drawer.
“On Bad Boys I trained in Miami with special-ops guys, but this is a whole other level,” laughs Smith of the training process. He hints at a complex dynamic with Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and the Joker (Jared Leto) along the way. “Deadshot’s actually eyeballing [Harley] a little bit. There’s a pretty ragged romantic triangle there.”
Deadshot, AKA Floyd Lawton, is Suicide Squad's walking, fast-talking arsenal. He brings the firepower to a crew that also includes Quinn, Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Slipknot (Adam Beach), Katana (Karen Fukuhara), Diablo (Jay Hernandez) and Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney). Playing the Lee Marvin role to this dirty half-dozen-and-a-bit – albeit a rank above – is Colonel Rick Flag. “Deadshot gives him the most problems,” rues the man trying to give the orders, Joel Kinnaman.
For much more on Ayer's movie, read our exhaustive Suicide Squad guide here.