Cara Delevingne attacks superhero movies as 'totally sexist' while praising Suicide Squad

The model-turned-actress plays Enchantress in the upcoming supervillain film

Cara Delevingne has been trying her hand at acting (Getty Images)

She may be preparing to star in her first superhero movie, but supermodel turned actress Cara Delevingne has dismissed the popular genre as "totally sexist".

The 22-year-old has been cast as Enchantress in Warner Bros' upcoming Suicide Squad about a gang of DC Comics supervillains who conduct secret operations on behalf of the US government in exchange for shortened prison sentences.

Delevingne will join the likes of Ben Affleck, Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto for the film, which she praises for giving women leading roles.

"There are only three girls in [Suicide Squad] but in my opinion they have the best roles," she told Empire. "Generally though, superhero movies are totally sexist.

"Female superheroes are normally naked or in bikinis. No-one would be able to fight like that. Wonder Woman, how the hell does she fight? She would be dead in a minute."

There has been some progress in giving women stronger parts in blockbusters, namely Scarlett Johansson's much-loved Black Widow, but many critics still feel that female roles are based primarily on sex appeal (think Bryce Dallas Howard running around in stilettos in Jurassic World).

Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot was forced to respond after criticism that her breasts were too small for the iconic role earlier this year.

Delevingne added that her ideal superhero power would not be controlling minds as Enchantress does, but shape-shifting like Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique from X-Men.

"I'd like to be a tree if I wanted to, or a paper clip," she said.

Suicide Squad is in production under David Ayers' direction and due out in the UK on 5 August 2016.