Well, that was fast. Just a few days after news arrived that Will Smith would be bowing out of starring in the Suicide Squad sequel that James Gunn has written and is gearing up to direct, a replacement is apparently in place. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Idris Elba will be taking on the role of Deadshot.
Smith, along with Margot Robbie (as Harley Quinn, who is likely to return) was one of the key components of the 2016 movie, which adapted the DC Comics title about villains and anti-heroes being coerced into working on dangerous government missions.
After some slow development, the film has jumped into high gear with Gunn's hiring, as he crafted a script that Warner Bros. is excited about and is starting to lock down its cast. Elba met with Gunn on Friday and the trade mag's sources say the meeting went so well, the deal negotiations started straight away. It doesn't hurt that Elba was Gunn and the studio's top choice.
Right now, the film, known as The Suicide Squad, is set to arrive on 6 August 2021. Elba has Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs And Shaw, in which he plays the villain, due on 2 August. He'll also be seen in Cats (pawing its way to screens on 20 December).
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