Suicide Squad: Turns Out Idris Elba WON’T Be Playing Deadshot After All

Turns out the intriguing carousel that is the DC Extended Universe continues to go round and round. James Gunn’s upcoming film The Suicide Squad has been labeled as something of a reboot for the franchise ever since it was announced that he’d be taking the helm of the DC property. And then there was news that Will Smith would no longer be returning to play the character of Deadshot, was the lead role in the first David Ayer-directed movie.

Luckily, Gunn had a worthy replacement in Idris Elba, though his moving on to play Deadshot seemed to hint at the idea that the character was pivotal to the story Gunn was trying to tell. With Smith unable to film thanks to a supposed scheduling conflict, it would seemingly make more sense just to change the character than recast him, right? Well, it looks like they may very well be taking that very approach.

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According to a new report from Variety, Gunn and the studio have decided to have Elba play a new character in The Suicide Squad altogether. The reason behind the decision seems to be a mix of respect for Smith, who helped bring the character to life in the first movie, and an attempt to leave the door open should Smith want to return to take on the character in a future movie. After all, with the reason for the initial “recast” being scheduling conflicts, there is no reason to shut the door altogether.

There is no word on who Elba will ultimately be playing, but I can’t help but wonder how extensive of a rewrite this would require from Gunn, especially if the movie is set to get in front of cameras this fall. Would he be able to replace the lead without making extensive changes that result in months-long rewrites? That remains to be seen. Either way, it looks like there are only three characters set to return: Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, and Amanda Waller.

How do you feel about Elba playing an all-new character? Let us know down below!

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SOURCE: Variety

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