The Suicide Squad: Idris Elba no longer playing Deadshot

Early rumors that pointed toward Idris Elba playing Deadshot were off the mark. Recent reports reveal that Gunn decided that Elba is no longer playing a different Suicide Squad member.

News surrounding the DCEU sure changes fast. It wasn’t that long ago that reports surfaced about Will Smith stepping down as Deadshot in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. News soon followed that Idris Elba would replace Smith in the role. However, Variety is reporting that Elba will play a different DC character entirely:

"“Sources now tell Variety that all parties including director James Gunn have decided to move on from the Deadshot character, with Elba playing a new character in “The Suicide Squad.”"

Gunn made the decision out of respect for Will Smith, who was one of the bright spots of the original Suicide Squad. Now that Deadshot is completely off the table for Gunn’s film, who will Elba play? There are only a few possibilities with the current line-up of Gunn’s cast, which reportedly includes: Killer Frost, King Shark, Peacemaker, Polka-Dot Man, and Ratcatcher. People following all things Suicide Squad know that a couple of roles are off the table. Both Ratcatcher and Killer Frost are out as options because those roles will go to women.

Who will Idris Elba play?

That only leaves Peacemaker, Polka-Dot Man, and King Shark. The latter, (Peacemaker) had Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista’s name swirling around it. Of course, there’s no official word on whether or not he’ll play the role; although he has expressed interest. Still, if Bautista doesn’t get cast, there’s a chance Elba could play the role.