Suicide Squad cast revealed: Jared Leto to play Joker alongside Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Tom Hardy and Cara Delevingne

The DC Comics supervillain movie is scheduled for release in summer 2016

Jared Leto will play The Joker in Suicide Squad (Getty Images)

Will Smith, Tom Hardy and Jared Leto have been confirmed for upcoming DC Comics supervillain movie Suicide Squad.

Leto will follow the late Heath Ledger’s path and take on The Joker, while Smith will play Deadshot and Hardy the gang’s leader Rick Flag, Deadline reports.

Margot Robbie has already been cast as The Joker’s on-off lover and accomplice Harley Quinn, with Jai Courtney playing Boomerang and British supermodel Cara Delevingne set to star as Enchantress.

It has not yet been confirmed whether Jesse Eisenberg will reprise his Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice role as villainous megalomaniac Lex Luthor in Suicide Squad, as reports have previously suggested.

The film’s storyline follows a group of villains who take on dangerous black op missions for the government in return for reduced jail sentences.

“The Warner Bros roots are deep in this one,” said Warner Bros president Greg Silverman.

“We look forward to seeing this terrific ensemble under David Ayer’s amazing guidance, give new meaning to what it means to be a villain and what it means to be a hero.”

David Ayer, known for World War II drama Fury, is writing and directing ahead of a scheduled August 2016 release in both 2D and 3D.

Between now and 2020, Warner Bros plans to roll out ten superhero and supervillain epics based on DC Comics characters.