DC Comics are plotting an almighty bid to usurp Marvel Studios in the battle for big-screen superhero dominance.

The evidence has already been hinted at following recent events at Comic-Con which saw the release of a new trailer for the upcoming blockbuster Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

However the anticipation for that particular production could now be overshadowed by the preview for another comic-book film which focuses on some familiar faces from the dark side.

The upcoming supervillain film, Suicide Squad, premiered a lengthy three minute trailer at Comic-Con and has finally been released for all to see….

Directed by David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury), the story focuses on a secret government agency who decide to recruit a group of notorious supervillains which include Deadshot, Harley Quinn and the Joker. Their mission is to prevent dangerous activities from taking place in exchange for shorter prison sentences.

The epic trailer focuses mostly on the beautiful Margot Robbie (Neighbours, The Wolf of Wall Street) who dons a colourful costume and bluish hair to play the seductive Quinn and gets the chance to reunite with her Focus co-star Will Smith (Independence Day, Men in Black trilogy) as Suicide Squad leader Deadshot.

The footage ends with a glimpse of Oscar-winner Jared Leto (Fight Club, Dallas Buyers Club) with white makeup and green hair as he tackles the iconic role of the psychotic Joker. Early signs show that he may sound like a deadringer for the late Heath Ledger’s infamous take on the character in The Dark Knight (2008).

The rest of the talented ensemble of supervillains include Jai Courtney (A Good Day to Die Hard, Terminator: Genisys) as Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnerman (The Killing, Robocop) as Rick Flagg, Cara Delevingne (Anna Karenina) as Enchantress, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Oz, Game of Thrones) as Killer Croc and Adam Beach (Flags of Our Fathers, Cowboys & Aliens) as Slipknot.

Viola Davis (The Help, Prisoners) also features in the film as government executive Amanda Waller while there is growing speculation that Oscar-winner Ben Affleck (Daredevil, Argo) will make a cameo as the new Batman.

Suicide Squad will be released in cinemas worldwide on August 5th, five months after the arrival of Dawn of Justice.