Viola Davis is heading back to the DC universe. James Gunn, director of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, is taking a break from the Marvel side of things (not necessarily by choice, at least at first) to write and direct The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros. and DC Films. Despite the fact that this has been called a "total reboot" by one of the producers, it's becoming increasingly clear that this movie is going to, very firmly, take place in the same universe as its predecessor. Case in point, Davis is reprising her role as the devious Amanda Waller.

According to a new report, Oscar winner Viola Davis is set to return as Amanda Waller in The Suicide Squad. For those who may need a small refresher, Waller is the nefarious woman who heads up the government-sanctioned team of supervillains. Davis originated the role in 2016's Suicide Squad, as directed by David Ayer. The movie was lambasted by the majority of critics, but perhaps more importantly, the movie was a huge financial success, which ensured some kind of follow up would happen. Despite that, Davis was unquestionably a highlight and having her back means she can once again lead this team of bad guys (and girls) who are trying to do a little good.

Viola Davis is an incredibly accomplished actress, having been nominated for three Oscars, winning her first in 2017 for her work in Denzel Washington's Fences. Davis also has taken home an Emmy and Tony award. She's known for her roles in movies such as The Help and Eat Pray Love. Since her turn in the first Suicide Squad, she's kept busy with her series How to Get Away With Murder, as well as heading up the ensemble for Steve McQueen's crime drama Widows last year.

As far as this movie goes, James Gunn is said to have an entirely new take on the property. However, Deadshot will be coming back, but this time he'll be played by Idris Elba instead of Will Smith. It's also expected that Margot Robbie will be back as Harley Quinn and Jai Courtney has declared that he'll be back as Captain Boomerang. Couple all of that with the return of Amanda Waller and this doesn't at all feel like the total reboot it was billed as. That said, Gunn could still very well have a totally different take.

We heard previously that some of the new team members will include Ratcatcher, Polka-Dot Man, Peacemaker and King Shark. Production is expected to begin before the end of the year. Once James Gunn wraps up his commitments here, he's set to head back to Marvel to helm Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which Disney recently re-hired him for. The Suicide Squad is set to arrive in theaters on August 6, 2021. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any further details on the project are made available. This news was first reported by The Wrap.