So Shia LaBeouf Was Almost In Suicide Squad

Talk about your dodged bullets.

According to an interview with Variety enfant terrible and "artist" Shia LaBeouf was almost in David Ayer's Suicide Squad, teaming him back up with the director he worked with on Fury.

Ayer wanted it to happen, but Warner Bros apparently balked at the casting, thanks to The Beef's supposedly "difficult" reputation. He was initially set to play the role that went to fellow Ayer alumnus Scott Eastwood: “The character was different initially, then Will [Smith] came in, and the script changed a bit. That character and Tom [Hardy’s] character [later played by Joel Kinnaman] got written down to build Will up."

Maybe that explains why Eastwood's character is so utterly pointless?

Unfortunately for LaBeouf, the studio stood in his way:

"I don’t think Warner Bros. wanted me. I went in to meet, and they were like, ‘Nah, you’re crazy. You’re a good actor, but not this one.’ It was a big investment for them.”

Imagine the furore that would have happened if he'd been cast and his role had been as covered in secrecy as Eastwood's unnecessarily was.... There'd have been effegies burned in the streets with fans assuming he was playing Robin or Nightwing. Part of me almost wishes it could have happened just for that.

LaBeouf was actually great in Fury, and he does have a lot of talent. He just has a lot of baggage too, and it's not hard to see why Warner Bros would want to avoid such needless controversy.