With Nicolas Winding Refn releasing his first-ever female-driven movie “The Neon Demon” this weekend, the director is tapping into a different side of his unique storytelling.

But this isn’t the first time the Danish filmmaker has wanted to make a movie with a strong female lead. After the release of his popular 2011 thriller “Drive,” Refn said he really wanted to make a Wonder Woman movie. 

That’s not going to happen quite yet. When Gal Gadot stars as the superhero in her standalone movie, out in the summer of 2017, Patty Jenkins (“Monster”) will have the reins.

But Refn still wants to make a superhero movie.

"God, I would love to make one, it would probably be great fun,” Refn told Business Insider this week. “I just don't know when it's going to happen. I very much enjoy my freedom creatively, but I also would love to make one of those big Hollywood films that costs a lot of money and has a lot of people running around with cell phones and all that insanity.”

So with Wonder Woman already taken, what superhero movie would he want to make?

"What ones are left?” Refn pondered for a second. “You know the one I want to do? I want to make Batgirl. Let’s get Warner working on it.”

Refn has certainly shown that he can make a movie with an interesting female protagonist. “The Neon Demon” stars Elle Fanning as a young girl who enters the fashion world of Los Angeles and is succumbed to its power.

Packed as "The Neon Demon" is with beautiful visuals, dark humor, and gore, it’s hard to say if Warner Bros. would want to sign on Refn to a project of that magnitude (and likely PG-13 content). But if they did, they would certainly bring an original flavor to the superhero genre.

Batgirl will reportedly be featured in the standalone Harley Quinn movie to be made after the release of “Suicide Squad,” with Margot Robbie reprising the Quinn role. 

That would certainly be the perfect introduction to the character leading up to a Refn-directed Batgirl movie.

Refn is awaiting your call, Warner Bros.

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Less is more, as the saying goes. Unless, it seems, you're talking about the number of bad guys in a modern superhero movies. With the addition of Bokeem Woodbine, next year's "Spider-Man: Homecoming" will have no less than three villains causing trouble for Tom Holland's friendly-neighborhood wall-crawler. Clearly, things are getting out of control.

The idea of the super-villain team-up isn't a new thing; in comic books, bad guys had been working together since the 1940s, with the Monster Society of Evil causing trouble for Captain Marvel back in 1943, Lex Luthor and Brainiac teaming up back in 1964 and Marvel even launching a series called "Super-Villain Team-Up"in 1975.

The concept had spread beyond comics; the animated "Super Friends" would regularly deal with the Legion of Doom throughout the 1970s, and even Christopher Reeve's cinematic Superman having to deal with a trio of Phantom Zone escapees in his 1981 second movie.

What separates Zod, Ursa and Non from the current trend of multi-villain movies is that the Phantom Zone criminals belonged together, and shared a backstory and direction. They were really one threat, made up of three different personalities. (And even then, Zod was the primary villain; Ursa and Non are essentially super powered minions.)

These days, when movies use more than one super-villain — which seems to be happening with increasing regularity — they form either an uneasy alliance, or find themselves working at cross-purposes with overlap only in the area of causing trouble for the hero of the day.

Perhaps we can blame 1992's "Batman Returns" for that, which paired Catwoman and the Penguin, who were linked by a third, background, villain — Christopher Walken's Max Schreck — and little else. That set the scene for random team-ups throughout the remainder of the 1980s/90s Batman franchise (Riddler/Two-Face in "Batman Forever," Mr. Freeze/Poison Ivy/Bane in "Batman and Robin"). In more recent years, we've seen "Spider-Man 3's" Sandman/Venom, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2's" Green Goblin/Electro/Rhino, the "X-Men" movies' math of "Magneto + [Whoever Else]," and the Nolan "Batman" movies, which loved to double up on threats wherever possible, amongst other examples.

It's easy to see the thinking behind these decisions. Almost all of the multi-villain movies aren't first installments, and on paper, there's a certain logic to the notion that additional villains ups the ante from the last movie. But in almost every single case, the end result is a movie that feels too busy and tripping over itself in order to find room in which to fit the secondary bad guy in. (Even something like "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," where the two villains were connected by the fact that Lex Luthor created Doomsday, seemed artificial and forced — although that could be said of much of that movie, villains or otherwise.)

In too many cases, there is little crossover between the villains in any given movie, meaning that filmmakers have to work in multiple separate sets of backstory and motivation in addition to whatever showdowns the villains have with the hero — or, in some cases, skimp on one or both, hoping that fans will be familiar enough with the character for things to make sense, and that affection for said character will be enough to carry the movie across whatever narrative plot holes exist as a result.

More often than not, movies that juggle a number of super-villains end up disappointing audiences, who end up with a variety of complaints: that their favorite villain was short-changed in favor of entirely separate plotline ("Spider-Man 3"), that the partnership between villains feels unconvincing and nonsensical ("Batman and Robin") or reduces one of the villains to a glorified henchman ("The Dark Knight Rises"), or simply ends up a directionless waste of potential all round ("The Amazing Spider-Man 2").

This isn't to say that choosing a single villain over a collective is the way to success — may I introduce you to last year's "Fantastic Four" as evidence? — but going the multi-villain route only complicates what is already a complicated route. It's not a decision to be taken lightly, or made without a clear plan of how to pull it off.

If there's cause for optimism, it could be in Marvel Studios' involvement in "Spider-Man: Homecoming." Marvel movies, for the most part, have avoided the multi-villain format, preferring instead a primary opponent who can be vanquished at the end of the movie. Sure, the bad guy can have assistants, but the narrative stays focused on one core threat — consider "Guardians of the Galaxy's" Nebula, who was an antagonist, but clearly Ronan was the mover and shaker on the villainous side of the movie; similarly, "Avengers" has an alien invasion, but Loki was the focus of the wrongdoing.

Where there are multiple threats in Marvel movies, it's tradition for one to be placed in the forefront, while the other acts as a teaser for future events, such as Loki in the "Thor" movies or Thanos in "Avengers" and "Guardians." It's possible that this is a fate awaiting at least one of the "Spider-Man" villains, reducing the sense of overload that an audience might feel.

Nonetheless, "Spider-Man: Homecoming's" three villains remains somewhat foreboding. This is a movie that already has to introduce Peter Parker's world to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including a supporting cast beyond Marisa Tomei's Aunt May and a status quo that explains how Spider-Man operates in a world where New York already has the Avengers, Daredevil and Jessica Jones defending it. That's enough heavy lifting to make ensuring space for even one villain seem like a difficult task — but to put three in there…? It's a choice that's either brave or foolhardy, and we won't know which until the movie hits theaters next summer.

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Marvel might have another solo film to add to its Phase Three plans.

Anna Kendrick said she is interested in playing one of the comic-book giant's lesser-known characters, Squirrel Girl.

"My brother sent me a Squirrel Girl comic because he thinks I should [play her]," Kendrick told Net-a-Porter. "I
don’t know what Squirrel Girl does other than be half-squirrel, but I could be half-squirrel!"

Squirrel Girl, aka Doreen Green, has an empathic bond with squirrels and communicates with the furry critters. In the comics, she defeated Iron Man's nemesis Doctor Doom, moved to New York City to protect Central Park, and became a part of the Great Lakes Avengers, the Midwestern branch of the Avengers. Green is also a high school student who has squirrel-like features, such as small claws and enlarged incisors.

Needless to say, it would be a pretty interesting character to see Kendrick dive into. If anyone had to play Squirrel Girl, few could probably pull it off like the "Pitch Perfect" star.

If you're having trouble imagining Kendrick in the role, one fan is here to help.

The detail is pretty incredible and makes Kendrick's case a lot easier to argue over at Marvel. We could use another comedy genius as a Marvel character, and this could definitely go the way of Paul Rudd's hilarious turn in "Ant-Man."

Marvel, maybe coincidentally or maybe not, uploaded this video breaking down Squirrel Girl on Tuesday:

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Tony Stark is out, and Riri Williams is in.

A black woman is taking over Stark's Iron Man suit as part of Marvel's "Marvel NOW!" relaunch this fall.

Williams is a 15-year-old student at MIT who comes to Stark's attention when she builds her own Iron Man suit in her dorm.

"Her brain is maybe a little better than his," Brian Michael Bendis, Williams' creator, told TIME. "She looks at things from a different perspective that makes the armor unique."

This is the latest addition to Marvel's plans to diversify its classic superheroes. There's already a female Thor, a Muslim-American Captain Marvel named Kamala Khan, and a black Latino Spider-Man named Miles Morales — who was also created by Bendis.

Though many see the new additions as a a step forward in Marvel's long tradition of making white men the superheroes, there is still pushback to the new class of diverse heroes.

"Some of the comments online, I don’t think people even realize how racist they sound," Bendis said.

SEE ALSO: How the 'Suicide Squad' cast looks compared to the comic-book characters

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Matt Damon might consider swapping his Jason Bourne persona for one that comes with a cape and superpowers, but only under one circumstance.

His good friend Ben Affleck has to direct.

"If he was directing me, I’d jump on it in a New York minute. I’d love to work with Ben," Damon told The Irish Examiner.

But he knows that won't happen easily.

"The problem with Ben is every time he directs a movie, he gives himself the best role in it, so until he’s willing to give up the best role to one of his friends, we’re not going to get on with it," Damon said.

Affleck just starred as Batman in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," which had an uneasy reception. But just because Affleck and Damon are partners in crime in real life doesn't mean Damon will show up as the Robin to Affleck's Batman. The Examiner said he laughed at the suggestion.

There aren't many major superheroes left to play, Damon, so you might want to reconsider.

SEE ALSO: A major Marvel comic book character was killed by another superhero today

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Get ready to be hooked on a feeling once again — in about 300 days.

There's quite a bit of time until the sequel to the summer 2014 blockbuster "Guardians of the Galaxy" hits theaters on May 5, 2017, but we now have our first look at what to expect.

The first official concept art for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" features all the favorites: Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Rocket, adorable baby Groot, Yondu, and Nebula. 

There's also a new face. Standing behind Nebula and sporting antennae is Mantis, an affiliate of the Guardians in the Marvel comics. Pom Klementieff, mostly known for Spike Lee's "Oldboy," will star as the new hero, whose powers include communicating telepathically with plants, surviving in space, and transferring herself between plants across interstellar distances or interdimensionally.

Considering much of the action of "Guardians" is set in space, Mantis will probably come in handy. It also wouldn't be surprising to see her take over Groot in a crisis.

In the comics, Mantis is a former Avenger who uses her telepathy to help Star-Lord form the Guardians, though that storyline doesn't seem like it will fit for the sequel.

"She has never really experienced social interaction," executive producer Jonathan Schwartz told Entertainment Weekly. "Everything she learns about dealing with people, she learns from the Guardians of the Galaxy, which is a very weird group to learn your social intricacies from."

Schwartz also hinted that Mantis might not be the only new character, adding that baby Groot isn't going to be the same Groot we knew and loved in the first film.

"He doesn’t have the wisdom and experience of that Groot," he said. "He’s a younger Groot and a more rambunctious Groot. The question is, is he the same Groot, just smaller? Or is he a different Groot that’s sprung up from the seed of the first Groot?"

All we can hope for is that he still loves to dance:

SEE ALSO: Marvel's new Iron Man is going to look completely different

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The comic book industry just had its best-selling month in nearly two decades.

According to The Comichron, a blog that covers comic book sales figures, June 2016 was the best-selling month for the industry since December of 1997. These figures aren't perfect, since the only way to track sales is to record the number of orders retailers are making rather than individual purchases, but they paint a pretty good picture. Retailers ordered about 8.53 million copies of the top 300 comics last month. 

In December 1997 they ordered just a hair under 9 million copies. The June 2016 figure is 14% higher than it was the previous year, and 56% higher than it was 15 years ago. 

Don't expect next month's sales numbers to be better than these, however. June was a bit of a special case.

Just as summer means blockbuster season for the cinema, it's event season for comics books — the part of the year when Marvel and DC publish limited-run series with huge stakes.

For Marvel it's "Civil War II" the spiritual sequel to an event from a decade ago that splits the superhero world in two when they come to blows over the ethical implications of a new character who can predict the future. Two heroes — War Machine and She-Hulk (probably) — have already been killed, and the Hulk was murdered by his fellow Avenger Hawkeye in the third issue.

Marvel also turned Captain America into a secret Nazi last month, which was kind of a big deal.

DC's is a little more complicated, but they relaunched their line in an event called "Rebirth" that's caused major changes to the status quo. Superman died and was replaced with an older Dad-Superman from a parallel universe, and the characters from "Watchmen" have joined continuity. All the major series had new first issues to help introduce the changes. 

These blockbuster comic events started in June, and sales of the first issues were big because fans were curious. Chances are the sales numbers will drop as the series continue. That's normal.

But this is still a good sign for comics. Months that are driven by sales of a major relaunch or event are fairly common, so it's encouraging that June outdid them all.

So, the natural question is: Why are comics books doing better recently, if this trend is to be believed?

Part of it, for sure, is the movies — but they superhero movies have been around for a while now, and event then the books weren't exactly cool. "X-Men," the movie that arguably launched the modern superhero movie craze, came out in 2000. While comics plot lines were convoluted and the costumes colorful, the first of these superhero movies were fairly accessible, and the costumes muted enough that they didn't deter viewers who thought that comics were too childish. 

But, as the movie franchises got bigger, introducing terms like "cinematic universe" to viewers' lexicons, they got more colorful too, and introduced deep-cut characters and more complex stories that assumed a decent amount of knowledge on theatergoers' parts.

Viewers had learned to "read" superhero movies. Were they ready to read the comics they were based on? It sure seems like it.

As the movie business was subtly making comics seem more alluring, new technology was making it easier than ever to read them — and obsess about them.

Twitter and Tumblr provided new places where fans could talk about comics that weren't the dark message boards of yore. Webcomics could act as a possible free gateway to professional comic books. 

Websites like Comixology make reading comics as simple as a click of the mouse — and keep in mind that sales through this site aren't even counted in the main figures we cited earlier. 

Perhaps the most important change, though, is the real (if imperfect) efforts the two biggest comic companies are taking to try to make their books more representative and inclusive.

Books like "Miss Marvel," a lighthearted though still complex series about a teen-aged Pakistani-American heroine, are reaching out to an audience that was largely ignored in past decades. Independent comic companies tend to be even better at reaching out to minority or otherwise under-served audiences, even if they don't always sell as much as the big two. 

Of course, there are a ton of behind-the-scenes business reasons that comics are doing better. Marvel went Bankrupt in 1996, so that certainly didn't help, but the company — which was bought by Disney a few years ago — is doing well these days.

Whatever the reason, it's been a bumpy road for comic books, but these recent sales numbers and a series of encouraging developments suggest that maybe there's a bright future for comics after some darker times. 

You know, cause nobody ever really stays dead in superhero comics. 

The tl:dr is that comics finally have the prominence and the network to support a new wave of fandom, and they're well on their way to being more popular than they've been in a long, long time. 

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Smartphones are well-suited to many tasks — but reading comics is not one of them.

Even on the biggest phablets, text bubbles become small and illegible, forcing the reader to laboriously zoom in-and-out as they read.

But Google thinks it has solved this problem with a nifty new feature called Bubble Zoom.

Bubble Zoom is built into an update for its ebook about Google Play Books, for Android. It automatically detects texts bubbles in a comic and enlarges them — letting the user clearly read what's being said without having to zoom and swipe around the page.

Check it out in action:

It's powered using Google's machine learning tech, the company said in a blogpost published Thursday.

Right now, it doesn't work on everything: Just "all Marvel and DC collected volumes." But the company has some high ambitions for the technology longterm.

"As we continue to teach our machines to read more comic book styles," it says, |"our goal is to eventually bring Bubble Zoom to all the comics and manga ever made."

Here's a video from Google discussing the new Bubble Zoom:

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Warner Brothers just debuted the first trailer for "Wonder Woman" and it looks amazing. The film stars Gal Gadot as the titular hero and is scheduled to be released in 2017.

Video courtesy of Warner Bros.

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Warner Bros. showed off the first trailer for the "Lego Batman" movie at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con, and it looks absolutely hysterical.  The movie is scheduled to hit theaters next February.

Video courtesy of Warner Bros. 

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At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, we met with many stunningly dressed cosplayers on the show floor. Here's how their amazing costumes compare to the the real thing. 

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Finally. Superman flies into The CW's "Supergirl" next season, and the network just released the first photo of "The Man of Steel."

Formerly a star of MTV's "Teen Wolf," Tyler Hoechlin dons the famous "S" and cape as Supergirl's (Melissa Benoist) cousin, reporter Clark Kent.

He'll appear at the beginning of the season this fall.

Previously, the show's producers said that it would take a long while before Superman appeared on the series. In season one, he had been shown with only his face hidden or chatting with his cousin in texts.

See the photo below:

SEE ALSO: Here's the actor who's playing Superman on the next season of 'Supergirl'

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We will finally see Jared Leto's version of The Joker when "Suicide Squad" hits theaters on Friday, and the Oscar-winning actor hopes that this won't be a simple one-and-done affair.

"I hope it's an introduction [of the Joker] ... and not the end!" he told the Toronto Sun, according to Heroic Hollywood. "Because I could easily just play the Joker a couple more times and then retire. Because it's so fulfilling and so creative and it's so imaginative. It's really difficult to think about doing anything else!"

In fact, Leto wants his Clown Prince of Crime to go up against Ben Affleck's Dark Knight.

"I think it would be incredible to see Batman and the Joker go head-to-head!" Leto said. "This Batman and this Joker. I mean, I don't know, that might be too much! But that would be fun."

It has been confirmed that Affleck is writing a standalone Batman movie that he will also direct and star in.

Affleck as Batman is also supposedly in "Suicide Squad," so maybe we'll see the two do battle sooner than that.

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"Suicide Squad" director David Ayer isn't your typical Hollywood player.

Having spent a lot of his youth around South Central Los Angeles, which led to the inspiration for scripts he wrote when he started his career like the first "Fast and Furious" movie and "Training Day," he's far from the usual soft-spoken director who keeps it very PC in public. 

He likes to get a crowd amped up, like at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego, where he announced that DC Comics runs Hall H, the epic convention floor where the biggest event films and TV shows have their presentations during the convention.

But he might have taken his hype-man persona a little too far on Monday night at the "Suicide Squad" premiere in New York City. While introducing the DC Comics movie, he repeated an audience member who yelled out, "F--- Marvel."

People inside the screening immediately started tweeting the occurrence, leading to many voicing their displeasure over Ayer trying to start a rivalry between DC Comics and Marvel properties.

Ayer tweeted an apology soon after:

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Jai Courtney's rise to fame has gone the express route thanks to being thrust into big franchises opposite even bigger action stars ("Jack Reacher,""A Good Day to Die Hard,""Divergent,""Terminator Genisys").

The Australian actor is the first to admit that not all the movies have been successful, but he's learned the dog-eat-dog reality of the business, which has prepared him for the intense scrutiny surrounding his next film, "Suicide Squad" (in theaters Friday), in which he plays DC Comics' dysfunctional Captain Boomerang.

Business Insider talked to Courtney (who was in a foul-mouthed mood, so be prepared) in New York City about those highly publicized "Suicide Squad" reshoots, if there will ever be another "Terminator" movie, and whispers he's heard about stars of another franchise who can't stand each other. (Is he talking about Marvel?)

Jason Guerrasio: So let's get the whole news of you taking mushrooms while Skyping with director David Ayer out of the way.

Jai Courtney: I've heard so many versions of that story.

Guerrasio: So let's get the real one.

Courtney: It's not even worth getting into because it's f---ing — it's just a silly thing when s--- gets misconstrued.

Guerrasio: It was more you having fun with a reporter?

Courtney: Yeah, I was f---ing around a little. But then that's me having to learn when to put the brakes on because when a conversation turns into print, it's a little harder to grasp the concept.

Guerrasio: So we can we say you did not have to go to such lengths to get the role?

Courtney: No. I would never do that.

Guerrasio: All these stories about how David Ayer prepares his cast — having you box each other and get interrogated — at a certain point do you go, "Enough of this, David, let's just act"?

Courtney: That's the beauty of it. It's not like he's complicating anything with this stuff. It's fueling. It's fanning the fire. It's a really cool way to shake up the usual pattern of preparation for a job. It's good that you never really know what that's going to mean, you know? That's a gift.

Guerrasio: Did doing all that actually help your performance?

Courtney: Yeah, for sure. It kind of feeds into it. You can do whatever work you think is necessary for a job but unless you have a system like this in place, you may not uncover certain things. There's not a right or wrong way to prepare. My approach changes on every job. But I think David having this long preproduction and the physical demands — I think it's all in the luxury of rehearsal. You're only going to go deeper and that's what he's interested in.

Guerrasio: You've done numerous franchises. Is this the most prep you've done out of any of those?

Courtney: Yeah, 100 percent. I mean, I have had to do prep that's heavy on the physical expectations, but never had a rehearsal period like this before.

Guerrasio: The "Justice League" character who shows up in a cameo is in a scene with Boomerang. Did you know that person would be in the scene with you?

Courtney: I didn't f---ing know that was happening when we were filming. That was a surprise for me when I saw the film.

Guerrasio: How was it written originally?

Courtney: It was written like we didn't really know. But it's part of the roundup of the squad, so my interpretation was that he had been taken out by [Rick] Flag's crew. But it's not specified [in the script]. When I saw it, I was like, of course!

Guerrasio: But that has to be fun because while filming, surrounded by green screens, you're thinking one thing and then when you see it on-screen, it's another.

Courtney: Totally. It was just a nice little thread. That's what's cool about all this. The potential for that to happen over the course of wherever all this goes is there. The relationships between these characters and different characters in other properties, too. The fact that we can all get into bed and mix it up, the future is bright in that sense.

Guerrasio: How much reshooting was there? Set the record straight.

Courtney: I was a little pissed off by all the reports. The rumors around us having to inject levity into it and all this shit. It was silly because the movie already had all that. All we did was shoot a big action sequence that was changing the shape of another one we had already shot.

Guerrasio: The ending?

Courtney: Yeah. We were just doing stuff with Enchantress. We did things that introduced stuff earlier that they wanted to get rid of basically. Changing her ability to engage with the squad, they enhanced that interaction. It was normal. It was strengthening the ending. The original [ending] we shot was dope, it was just adding to it, not doing an alternative.

Guerrasio: So when you see this movie, you like it? There's no feeling that they screwed it up in post?

Courtney: I f---ing love this movie. It's great to see it all come together. I love that about filmmaking and getting to see everyone else that you don't necessarily engage with on set every day and getting them to showcase their talents. Whether it's effects, music, the edit, the rhythm of a film is driven by that, so it's cool to see it come together. It's great to be standing in front of something you're genuinely proud of.

Guerrasio: Are you bummed that, as far as the immediate future, there are no more "Terminator" movies?

Courtney: Um, no. I mean, look, I would like to do more, but that's not a decision that's up to me and so for whatever reason they put it on the back burner for now.

Guerrasio: You have been thrown into a lot of franchises. Do you have to have a short memory and not anticipate the sequels too much?

Courtney: Yeah, I've certainly learned to become unattached to the idea of it having to come around again. And that has been a possibility since, f--- man, like ["A Good Day to] Die Hard." It was like, "Oh, we'll make another one."

Guerrasio: And that was early in your career, so back then were you pumped by the idea of more movies?

Courtney: Totally. I was still f---ing impressionable. [Laughs]

Guerrasio: You didn't have the scars yet.

Courtney: Yeah. I'm jaded as f--- now. But look, you learn to really not listen to it. And look, if it happens, it happens. If it seems like an obvious movie to make then cool. The thing is if they are going to make another one then hopefully it's for the right reasons, and if that's the case then I'm game to do it. But with "Terminator," who knows — it's probably time to leave it where it is. But if they can get back in there and dig around and decide if there is another film to make, well, I'll take the call.

Guerrasio: What franchise are you more happy to see in the rear-view mirror, the "Terminator" franchise or the "Divergent" franchise?

Courtney: Most in the rear-view? "Divergent." Look, "Divergent" did a lot for me and I liked that character, but I'm glad I was in and out of there in a couple of films. I don't think it hurts anyone, but some of those guys have been making that movie since 2013, and I'm glad I had the fun with it that I did and it's not my future.

Guerrasio: You had a little joke when talking to Stephen Colbert the other night, saying you were happy with "Suicide Squad" because at least you guys get along with each other. Was that a hint that on "Divergent" you all weren't friendly with one another?

Courtney: No, I didn't mean that. I think the thing was I was joking about the fact that it's not always the case on movies. I've heard stories from other sets, I won't name names, but another high-profile franchise that was shooting at the same time we were, and individuals don't speak to each other.

Guerrasio: A franchise that might shoot down in Georgia? [Marvel Studios shoots a lot of its films in the Atlanta region.]

Courtney: I don't know, couldn't tell you. But it's a wrestle every day when that happens because they aren't the only people shooting a movie. That energy affects everyone on set. So I was just remarking to the fact that it's cool that was something we didn't have to bull--- about in press. We love each other, you can tell.

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The first reviews for "Suicide Squad"— the superhero film out this weekend — are in, and most critics say the movie lives up to neither its ubiquitous hype nor its sprawling premise.

The film, which David Ayer ("End of Watch") wrote and directed, features an all-star cast of DC Comics villains. Its stars include Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and Jared Leto as The Joker, but critics generally aren't pleased with the way the ensemble picture turned out.

Read some of the film's scathing reviews and biggest gripes below:

SEE ALSO: REVIEW: 'Suicide Squad' doesn't live up to the hype

Putting the film's star power aside, several critics criticized the "Squad" conceit itself, suggesting that the film's concept of a group of villains working together either makes no sense or doesn't deliver.

"It hardly matters who the 'Suicide Squad' is fighting or why. These supervillains just don't feel like they belong in the same zip code as DC's gritty urban antiheroes, let alone the same movie," The Daily Beast said.

Source: The Daily Beast

"Unfortunately, the result resembles a sports dream team whose combined efforts don't nearly measure up to the talents of its individual players," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

"Suicide Squad" is finally here.

After a massive marketing rollout and tons of fan-generated hype, the early word is not great on the DC Comics movie with an all-star cast.

But that won't stop stampedes from seeing it when it comes out this weekend. "Squad" is looking at a historic box-office launch.

So what and who do you need to know?

Based on the comic-book series of the same name, the Suicide Squad is a team of supervillains recruited to go on missions that have almost no odds of survival. They're suicide missions, hence the name. The team is made up of almost a dozen unique villains, but many have never appeared in a DC film before.

Here's what you need to know about each member of the team.

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Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) creates the Suicide Squad.

Amanda "The Wall" Waller forms the Suicide Squad and acts as its leader. Because the squad members are all officially serving life sentences in maximum-security prison, she works hard to maintain their cover during missions.

In the comics, she keeps the squad in check by implanting bombs in their necks and threatening to detonate them if they step out of line. But Waller's greatest weapons are her mind games. She keeps encyclopedic knowledge of each member's weaknesses and uses them to keep the squad members under control. She wants her team to succeed, but never lets them forget they're all expendable.

Deadshot (Will Smith) is a sniper and master gunman.

Real name Floyd Lawton, Deadshot is a master assassin and gunslinger. In addition to his sniper rifle, he can fire bullets from his gauntlets and laser monocle.

In the comics, he joins the squad in the hopes of clearing off a life sentence so he can reconnect with his adopted daughter. He also starts an on and off again fling with Harley Quinn. Interestingly, Batman is the one who put Deadshot in prison after foiling an assassination attempt in Gotham City. We know Ben Affleck's Batman will appear in "Suicide Squad," so perhaps he'll be a part of Deadshot's story.

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), the Joker's main squeeze, will appear on film for the first time.

Described in the comics as a "psychoanalyst turned psycho," Harleen Quinzel was once a brilliant psychologist. But she fell in love with her most disturbed patient, The Joker, and soon after took on the persona of "Harley Quinn."

In the comics, Harley is among the most feared of the squad members because she's unpredictable and uncontrollable. She's a surprisingly strong martial artist and Deadshot develops something of a soft spot for her. This is the on-screen debut for the character, and we'll get to see her life as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, attempting to treat the Joker, and as Harley Quinn, the giggling supervillain and squad member.

George Lucas certainly approves of Marvel Comics' latest "Han Solo" series.

The "Star Wars" creator emailed Marvel comic-book artist Mark Brooks asking to purchase every original page from "Han Solo #1" and "#2."

"Surreal is an understatement," Brooks said in a post on his Facebook (below) reacting to the request from Lucas.

"Han Solo #1" and #2" are both available now, and "#3" will be released on August 3.

The series is written by Marjorie Liu and finds everyone's favorite scoundrel on a top-secret undercover mission for the Rebellion, with his cover as a contestant in the biggest and most infamous starship race in the galaxy.

(Is this the potential source material for the future standalone Han Solo film?)

It's certainly a better reaction than the rather quiet one he gave to "The Force Awakens," comparing it to a divorce and calling the situation an "awkward reality."

Hey, you can't please George Lucas all the time.

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about the next 'Star Wars' movie, 'Rogue One'

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Warning: "Suicide Squad" spoilers ahead.

The Joker is not just one of the best comic-book characters ever created. He also happens to be box-office gold.

Jack Nicholson's Joker helped pave the way for the success of "The Dark Knight." I will never forget seeing Tim Burton's "Batman" in theaters in 1989 and the audience clapping when Nicholson said his famous line: "Wait till they get a load of me." He was a villain you rooted for.

Heath Ledger turned the character into a horrific madman in "The Dark Knight" in 2008, which led to him winning an Oscar. His death put an even darker cloud over the whole film, but its legacy lasts.

Jared Leto is the latest, and though he's quite impressive as the Clown Prince of Crime, I wish the DC Comics bigwigs didn't unveil him in "Suicide Squad."

The much-anticipated movie — opening in theaters on Friday — about a group of bad guys who are brought together "Dirty Dozen"-style to save the world has gotten a few negative reviews, as you may have noticed. The biggest problem I have is that the filmmakers tried to jam too much into the movie, including a Joker subplot.

In fact, shoehorning The Joker into the movie feels so forced that I was upset every time he showed up on the screen. I didn't know that was possible.

It doesn't help that almost every Joker scene in the movie has already been shown in the trailers and TV spots.

A little background: The Joker is not actually part of the Suicide Squad. He is, though, the main squeeze of squad member Harley Quinn (played perfectly by Margot Robbie). Since Quinn has been caught by Batman (Ben Affleck) and taken to a maximum-security prison, The Joker has been trying to get her back. The formation of the Suicide Squad gives him his chance to nab her.

So while writer-director David Ayer has to juggle the storylines of seven characters that make up the squad, he also has to plug in the Joker-Quinn relationship and The Joker freeing her. It's completely out of place and not needed for a movie that's mostly about bad guys finding a common ground.

And this is nothing against Jared Leto's Joker. He's perfect for the role and I want to see more of him. But it would have been much better for the story if we never saw The Joker and he were mentioned only by name. If Quinn had mentioned The Joker once or twice, I would have gotten goose bumps.

Building on his already sky-high persona, and then revealing him in the next standalone Batman movie, would have been incredible.

Leto's Joker is a wasted opportunity, used in a movie where there's so much else happening.

Now I know much of the decision here is based on pure business motive. Would you be as excited about "Suicide Squad" if The Joker weren't in it?

The character is iconic and completely works on the screen. Jared Leto couldn't have been a better actor to carry the torch. But the worst thing in an ensemble movie is a character who seems utterly out of place, and that's what the Joker is in "Suicide Squad."

SEE ALSO: The 15 worst movie sequels ever, ranked

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The making of "Suicide Squad" was as unfocused and disjointed as the movie turned out to be.

In a behind-the-scenes look at the production, The Hollywood Reporter reveals that major decisions about the tone and structure were made by the movie's studio Warner Bros. in response to the negative reaction to WB's previous superhero movie, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."

This included the studio hiring the company Trailer Park, which was behind the popular "Suicide Squad" trailers, to cut a version of the full movie while director David Ayer was cutting his own version. 

"Kevin was really pissed about damage to the brand," a source told THR, referring to Warner Bros. chief Kevin Tsujihara's response to negative "Batman v Superman" press.

In May, Ayer's more "somber version," as THR calls it, and the studio's "lighter" version were screened to test audiences in Northern California. The studio's version with more characters introduced earlier in the movie and dazzling graphics won out, though Ayer was cooperative with the process, according to THR.

This is just the latest example of a blockbuster movie that seemed to have a lack of focus. 

Ayer only had six weeks to write the script in order to stay on production schedule for the planned release date. And there were reshoots to give the movie the more fun tone that couldn't be accomplished by the Trailer Park edit.

"Suicide Squad" star Jai Courtney told Business Insider that the reshoot stories were overblown, however.

"The rumors around us having to inject levity into it and all this s---," Courtney said. "It was silly because the movie already had all that."

Though he did admit that the ending was redone.

"We were just doing stuff with Enchantress," he said. "We did things that introduced stuff earlier that they wanted to get rid of basically. Changing her ability to engage with the squad, they enhanced that interaction. It was normal. It was strengthening the ending. The original [ending] we shot was dope, it was just adding to it, not doing an alternative."

Reshoots are fairly common on large-budget films, but regardless of what was added after principal photography, it looked to have taken a toll on Ayer. He was directing his first tentpole. In June, he fired his longtime agent at CAA, though the agency won him back a day later. 

"He was under a lot — a lot — of pressure," a source told THR.

Ayer has stayed positive in public. He took part in the film's press junket and responded to the negative reviews with these tweets:

SEE ALSO: The first reviews of "Suicide Squad" are here, and people hate it

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