Viola Davis may portray Amanda Waller in 'Suicide Squad'

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Viola Davis has reportedly joined the cast of Suicide Squad.

The 49-year-old actress would star as Amanda Waller in the DC Comics film. David Ayer is confirmed to direct, with Will Smith as Deadshot, Jared Leto as the Joker, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Tom Hardy as Rick Flag, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress and Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang.

Suicide Squad follows a team of antihero villains who carry out dangerous missions for the U.S. government in exchange for commuted prison sentences. Waller is an agent put in charge of the group, and was previously portrayed by Angela Bassett in Green Lantern (2011).

Davis has appeared in such films as Traffic and The Help, and on television series like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and United States of Tara. She currently stars as Professor Annalise Keating on ABC drama How to Get Away with Murder.

Suicide Squad is scheduled to open in theaters Aug. 5, 2016. DC Comics will release Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman in March 2016, with Justice League: Part One to follow in Nov. 2017.