Whether you liked 2016's Suicide Squad or not, few can argue that the movie wasn't a hit thats still memorable to movie goers. While its best known now for bringing us Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, a huge aspect of its success can be credited to the casting of Will Smith as Deadshot. The combination of blockbuster star and a comic book movie was a match made in heaven for both parties involved. But a lot has changed since 2016, especially at Warner Bros. and DC. With James Gunn coming over from Marvel to direct the Suicide Squad sequel, Will Smith apparently won't be returning and the director already has a replacement in mind.
According to THR, Idris Elba is the director's first and only choice to replace Smith as Deadshot. Last week it had been reported that Smith would not be returning for the sequel due to scheduling conflicts, but speculation has recently hinted the actor may just have not wanted to return to the role. Issues such as the controversy that originally had Gunn removed from Guardians of the Galaxy 3, as well as the overall unclear vision at DC right now are rumored to have played a factor. Its worth mentioning that new recently broke Smith will be starring in a biopic called King Richard about the father of Venus and Serena Williams, so this may also be the project standing in the way of him returning as Deadshot.
With Elba possibly now taking over the role, its becoming more and more apparent DC has no problem recasting their lead characters. With Ben Affleck announcing he will be replaced by a younger Batman, and rumors that Henry Cavill may not be returning as Superman, its no surprise Deadshot is fair game. We do know however that the studio does want Margot Robbie to return as Harley Quinn, which seems more likely given she's already starring in their Birds of Prey movie next year.
Its hard to tell what exact roster Gunn will be going with for this movie, as it was originally believed this would be more of a reboot than anything else. The return of Deadshot and Harley Quinn made sense given the marketable and the actors behind the role, but it seems Gunn's still really keen on including the character regardless of Smith's departure. While Idris Elba doesn't exactly have the huge level of stardom Smith has, he's certainly made a name for himself on the big screen. With roles as Heimdall in the Thor series, Pacific Rim, Star Trek Beyond, and the upcoming Hobbs and Shaw, another big budget action movie seems right up his ally.
So how do you feel about Idris Elba playing Deadshot? Are you disappointed Will Smith won't be reprising the role? Let us know below!
