Idris Elba Will Play New Character In James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’

Variety reports James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad will no longer move forward with the character Deadshot and Idris Elba will instead take on a different role in the DC film.

Last month, it was reported Idris Elba will replace Will Smith as Deadshot in James Gunn’s upcoming film The Suicide Squad. However, Variety sources state James Gunn and all parties involved have opted to move forward without the Deadshot character, with Idris Elba instead playing a different role.

The outlet notes James Gunn and the team took the last few weeks to discussed the matter and felt moving on without the character was the correct choice. Having Idris Elba play a different character also gives Will Smith the option to reprise the role in a future film, though the outlet notes many believe the chances of such a return are slim.

The first Suicide Squad followed a team of supervillains who were recruited by the government for a dangerous black ops mission in exchange for reduced sentences. The ensemble cast included Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Jared Leto as The Joker. James Gunn is expected to deliver on the new take on the supervillain team with his upcoming movie with Idris Elba playing a new character, Jai Courtney reprising his role as Captain Boomerang and Viola Davis returning as Amanda Waller.

The Suicide Squad is one of many projects currently being developed by Warner Bros. and DC. The list also includes The Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern Corps, Birds of Prey, Black Adam, Nightwing, Supergirl and New Gods.

The Suicide Squad will be released in theaters on August 6, 2021.

Source: Variety