It's a good time to be alive. Who would ever have thought that Hollywood would have finally noticed that comic books are a goldmine for incredible stories and deft characters? Or that these properties and franchises would have been treated with the upmost respect that they deserve. After a few bumps on the road, the comic book medium has translated to the big screen in so many delectable ways that everyone's boat is staying afloat. If you want something more adult, you've got it. If you want something to watch with your kids, you've got it. If you want to see continuity between films, you've got it. This is not necessarily new news but 2016 is a very significant year for comic book films. We've got characters who had previously been considered untouchable for film are being given their due. Minority characters are given their chance to shine. The DC cinematic universe chugs along at a confident pace. Abstract stories are being adapted. Risks are being taken. There are inevitable also a vast number of upcoming performances to be found in this year's plethora of comic book movies, and the most important ones are as following...
15. Viola Davis' Amanda Waller (Suicide Squad)
Picture Oprah: a proud, black woman with compassion, warmth, wealth and immense power. Now take away the compassion and warmth, add a heart as cold as Mr. Freezes freezer, control over a group of super-villains and the moxy to stand up to Batman. Amanda Waller, head of the Suicide Squad, is the result. As is the case with characters like Deadshot and Captain Boomerang, Waller is an extremely fleshed out character given the advantage of being molded by the amazing John Ostrander. You have to be strong, determined and sure of yourself to keep deadly and unpredictable supervillains on a leash and Waller is exactly that. She's the keeper of the key, a reluctant matriarch and a woman who plays people like chess pieces. Weve only seen a snippet of Viola Davis in the trailers, but she definitely looks like Waller and seems as steely eyed as necessary. The first black woman to win the an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Davis has shown to be the right kind of cold (Doubt) and emotive (The Help). If Deadshot is the heart of the Suicide Squad, then Amanda Waller is the spine. Heres hoping that she gets her chance to shine and becomes something akin to the Nick Fury of the DC cinematic universe.
