A new rumor suggests Idris Elba could be playing a familiar and beloved assassin in The Suicide Squad. When news first broke that Elba would be joining the cast of James Gunn's upcoming sequel/reboot to 2016's Suicide Squad, it was reported that he was going to be replacing Will Smith as Deadshot. The studio decided they didn't want to go that route, as to not step on Smith's toes, since it really only came down to scheduling. So, it was decided Elba would play a different character entirely. And if this rumor has any truth to it, that character is going to be Slade Wilson, aka Deadshot.
We must caution, very heavily, that this is just a rumor. Nothing more for the time being, as Warner Bros. and James Gunn have yet to weigh in. That said, here's what's floating around on the ol' internet machine. A certain Barstool Sports contributor took to Twitter in order to share this particular rumor regarding Idris Elba and Deathstroke. An image of the deadly DC Comics assassin was shared in a tweet with the following caption.
"Hearing some veeeeeery interesting whispers about Idris Elba's character in James Gunn's 'The Suicide Squad'. Wouldn't it be awesome if he were playing Deathstroke?"
Again, let's start off by saying this could just be nothing. But what if it's something? It would be absolutely nuts. Not only that, it would actually make sense in some ways. Deadshot and Deathstroke have certain, similar qualities. Assuming James Gunn had already finished the script and had a story in a place he liked, it would be easier to swap in a similar character, at least in broad terms, as to not disrupt things too much. Deathstroke would seem to fit that bill.
That having been said, this would mean, at the very least, some continuity issues. Back when Ben Affleck was set to direct The Batman, it was revealed that Deathstroke was going to be the main villain. Test footage was shot that set the internet ablaze. Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike) was cast to play the character and he even made an appearance in a post-credit scene that was attached to Justice League. They even had a solo movie in development at one point. However, DC Films has since restructured, largely due to the lackluster success (or lack thereof) with Justice League. So why not let Gunn make use of a character a great many DC fans absolutely love and have a beloved, talented actor play him?
Related: The Suicide Squad Drops Deadshot, Idris Elba Will Play New Character
What we know for sure is that The Suicide Squad is aiming to film later this year. The cast also includes David Dastmalchian as Polka Dot Man, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher, John Cena as Peacemaker and Michael Rooker as King Shark, with Margot Robbie returning as Harley Quinn and Jai Courtney reprising his role as Captain Boomerang. Hopefully, we'll hear some solid info regarding who Idris Elba is playing in the near future. The Suicide Squad is set to arrive in theaters on August 6, 2021. Feel free to check out the original post from Robbie Fox's Twitter account below.
Hearing some veeeeeery interesting whispers about Idris Elba’s character in James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if he were playing DEATHSTROKE?
