The Suicide Squad: Who is Idris Elba’s Bloodsport?

The mystery is finally over as we now know who Idris Elba’s The Suicide Squad character is: Bloodsport. But do we really know him?

For the better part of a year, fans of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad wondered who Idris Elba would play in the DCEU film. Gunn tapped the London actor to star in the soft reboot after Will Smith dropped out. Rumors initially had him replacing Smith as Deadshot – DC’s sniper who just doesn’t miss – but those rumors were put to bed with Walter Hamada and Warner Bros wanting to leave the door open for Smith to return. A smart move no doubt.

Other whispers had him playing Bronze Tiger, Sportsmaster among other DC anti-heroes. However, it turns out he’s playing a character few saw coming: Bloodsport.

The little-known DC character can teleport weapons to himself, which includes Kryptonite bullets. In the pages of DC Comics, Bloodsport has an interesting yet vague backstory that should make Elba’s character intriguing.

Who is Bloodsport?

In the comics, Robert DuBois’ story has a Hunger Games feel to it. Katniss Everdeen volunteered as the female tribute from District 12 in place of her sister, so did Robert’s brother, Michael. No, it wasn’t a tribute, but he took his brother’s place in the army. Unlike his Hunger Games counterpart, young Michael died during the Vietnam War.

A guilt-ridden Robert became obsessed with the Vietnam war, and subsequently became obsessed with training. It drove him insane, ultimately leading him to some extended stays in psychiatric hospitals. Lex Luthor saw something in Robert and used a woman to bait him into working for him. Guess what the job was? To kill Superman.

Lex armed Robert with high-tech weaponry, and it worked. Bloodsport gave Superman hell, he even wounded him — that’s where the story ends. Other men bore the name including a racist Aryan Brotherhood member. It’s safe to say Elba isn’t playing the white supremacist version of the DC Character.

How could Bloodsport feature in The Suicide Squad?

Bloodsport’s story could carry over from the comics. Of course, there are a few changes we expect to be made. Sure, he can still be obsessed with the Vietnam War but that’s not likely. We know this version of Bloodsport has a daughter, played by the talented Storm Reid. The likely approach is having Bloodsport as the serious anti-hero to balance out the chaos. This makes him a direct replacement for Deadshot, a war veteran in today’s world seeking retribution.

Considering the war heavy tone Gunn’s The Suicide Squad has, Bloodsport is the perfect fit. DC Fandome gave us a sneak peek at the violent, explosive, and messy film Gunn has in store for us. How cool is it to be the guy who wounded the Man of Steel? If you have any questions about Elba’s talent look at his IMDB. Or check him out as a super-powered killing machine in Hobbs and Shaw. I know I’m not alone in saying I can’t wait to see what he brings to The Suicide Squad as Bloodsport.

With Elba’s name attached to a character with so little fanfare, we could see Bloodsport become a household name. Should he captivate and resonate with audiences we could get a Bloodsport mini-series or solo movie. Maybe HBO Max has room for the anti-hero.

Are you looking forward to seeing Bloodsport appear in The Suicide Squad? Let us know in the comments below!