Now that the MCU has killed off its Heimdall, it seems that Idris Elba may be at liberty to join the DC universe, with THR reporting that the actor is now in talks to play Deadshot in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.
As you may be aware, the role of Floyd Lawton was originally handled by Will Smith in the original 2016 Suicide Squad, but as per last month’s announcement, it looks like the actor won’t be reprising his part for the upcoming sequel. Since then, it’s been reported that Warner Bros. was debating whether to recast Deadshot or replace him with a new character, and if the new THR piece is anything to go by, then it seems we have our answer.
According to the outlet’s sources, Elba met with Gunn on Friday, and their discussion went so well that talks have now begun in earnest with the studio. What’s more, it’s said that Elba was the “first and only” choice for Gunn and the studio.
Incidentally, the report adds that while Harley Quinn is also expected to feature in the next Suicide Squad, sources seem divided over whether or not Rick Flagg will be coming back. Either way, we may not have long to wait before we get some clarification on the matter, since it’s said that Warner is “extremely high” on Gunn’s script, meaning that the project is “barrelling forward into the casting stage after Gunn quickly turned out several drafts.”
Sounds promising, but there’ll be plenty of time for further details before The Suicide Squad hits theaters on August 6th, 2021. In the meantime, you can catch Elba playing another fictional killer when Hobbs & Shaw comes out on August 2nd, 2019.