James Gunn’s ‘Suicide Squad’ Moves Forward With Idris Elba… But No Deadshot

James Gunn’s Suicide Squad reboot is moving full steam ahead. One character from the original film, however, will not be appearing in the new film.

There had been a lot of Internet chatter about who Idris Elba (Heimdall of the Thor/Avengers movies) would portray in the new Suicide Squad. Now Variety has indicated that Elba will not be playing Will Smith’s character Deadshot after all. Sadly, although it was previously reported that he would take on the role, sources close to Variety have now said that is not going to be the case.

Warner Bros. had no comment about the decision. Consequently, we have no idea what character Elba will be playing. Notwithstanding, it seems like Warner Bros. made this decision for a specific reason. Speculation is that it’s because they wanted to respect Will Smith and not recast his role.

Suicide Squad Moves on Without Deadshot

It is now going to be interesting to see who Idris Elba will end up playing. If Warner Bros. and DC play their cards right, Elba could end up playing Slipknot in this film. But… filming doesn’t start for sometime. So while there could be a chance that he plays Slipknot, the door is open for him to play someone else entirely.

As a result of this decision, it’s looking like only three characters from the original film will be coming back. Odds are that Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn will be returning. Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang is also likely. And, according to The Wrap, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) is going to be returning as well.

Gunn and his team are currently casting the new Suicide Squad film, which is set for release on August 6th, 2021.