Idris Elba could replace Will Smith as Deadshot in the sequel to Suicide Squad, we find out more on the blog today…
The Luther star is set to play Deadshot in the sequel, which is being put together by James Gunn and Warner Bros.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Idris Elba had met with Gunn and it went so well that talks began with the studio in earnest. It adds that Elba was the first and only choice for Gunn and the studio. Smith led the original 2016 ensemble cast, which also starred Margot Robbie, as assassin anti-hero Deadshot.
Suicide Squad 2 had been ambling along for years before Gunn came on to the project, but now it seems like it’s hurtling forward, especially if it’s already at the casting stage. The wheels have been moving fast with the filmmaker quickly turning around drafts of the script and already moving into the casting phase. Gunn is said to be using DC characters that didn’t appear in the David Ayer film, though some will return, namely Deadshot, Harley Quinn and Rick Flagg.
The Suicide Squad is currently scheduled to premiere in theatres on August 6, 2021.
In the meantime you can catch Elba in a major blockbuster this year — he’s joining the Fast and Furious family as the villain in the Dwayne Johnson/Jason Statham-led spinoff Hobbs and Shaw, which lands in theaters on August 2nd. Later this year, he’ll also appear as Macavity in Tom Hooper‘s film adaptation of the Broadway sensation Cats.
