With Reporting by Ryan Downey

Marvel might be the superhero movie king of the moment, but credit where it's due: DC lined up one hell of a cast for "Suicide Squad," the super villain team-up from "Fury" director David Ayer.

The roster includes Oscar winner Jared Leto as the Joker and Margot Robbie as his main squeeze, Harley Quinn. But perhaps the most exciting and unexpected casting of them all is Robbie's "Focus" co-star, Will Smith. The superstar is set to play Floyd Lawton, better known as the eagle-eyed assassin Deadshot.

It's not Smith's first foray with the superhero genre (how soon you forget "Hancock"), nor is it his first time being linked to a major comic book property. (Remember those "Captain America" rumors?) But it is the first time Smith has signed on the dotted line to join one of these massive cinematic universes — and to hear him tell it, the decision came down to one major opportunity: Defining Deadshot.

"With this character and the DC world, I love that I'm getting the opportunity for the global definition of Deadshot," he told MTV. "There's been Deadshot in little appearances here and there, there's an idea, but Deadshot isn't defined, really. I get to be a part of the creation that will be the biggest historical image of Deadshot."

It's a fair point; Deadshot exists in other non-comics iterations, perhaps most famously as a recurring villain on The CW's "Arrow." But he's far from a known quantity for mainstream moviegoers; he's no Joker, and isn't even Bane levels of fame. But that could change very soon, assuming the DC Comics movie makes the impact that Ayer, Smith and Warner Bros. are all aiming for.

"Suicide Squad" takes aim on August 5, 2016.