Casting continues on the upcomingSuicide SquadspinoffBirds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)(I can just call thisBirds of Preyfrom now on and we’ll all know what I’m talking about, right?) and the movie has now added another villain. According to Deadline,Chris Messinahas signed on to play the villainous Victor Zsasz. While the main villain will still beEwan McGregor’s Black Mask, Deadline reports “Zsasz will be working in cahoots with” the crime boss.
Victor Zsasz is a serial killer who carves a tally mark into his skin for each one of his victims. He was first introduced in 1992 because of course he was part of the awful comic books of the 1990s. Per Deadline, here’s his backstory:
He was the head of his own international company, a rich guy who is still rich from his family’s fortune. At 25, his parents die in a boating accident and plummets into a deep depression losing himself in gambling, and ultimately everything to the Penguin. He tries to commit suicide, but after killing a homeless man, he becomes addicted to killing and is known for slitting his victims’ throats and leaving them in lifelike poses, while adding a tally mark to himself each time.
Ooh, edgy!
While I think Messina is a great actor, I have to admit that I’m a bit disappointed that they’re including Zsasz. He’s dark and twisted in the way a teenager thinks of dark and twisted things. It remains to be seen howBirds of Preyuses him, but he’s better relegated to being a punchline than a serious threat, especially when you’ve got characters like Huntress and Black Canary in your movie.
Birds of Prey(And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)also starsMargot Robbieas Harley Quinn,Mary Elizabeth Winsteadas Huntress,Jurnee Smollett-Bellas Black Canary,Ella Jay Bascoas Cassandra Cain, andRosie Perezas Renee Montoya. The film opens July 05, 2025.
