THE SUICIDE SQUAD Director James Gunn Says He Wrote Bloodsport Role Specifically For Idris Elba

Yesterday was Idris Elba's birthday, and The Suicide Squad writer and director James Gunn marked the occasion by sharing a heartfelt message for the British actor. In that Tweet, the filmmaker also shared a surprising revelation about Bloodsport - Elba's character - in the DC Comics adaptation.

If you recall, it was originally reported that Elba was in talks to replace Will Smith as Deadshot. Later, we would learn that the actor was set to play a different character, though it's never been explained whether Warner Bros. decided against recasting Smith or if it was never actually the plan for him to join the DC Extended Universe as Floyd Lawton. 

Regardless, Gunn states that, "I rarely write roles for actors I've never met, but I did exactly that for [Idris Elba] in [The Suicide Squad] [and] couldn't be happier I did - you went beyond my expectations as an actor AND as a human being. I can't wait for folks to see you as [Bloodsport]."

It's interesting that the filmmaker specifically wrote Bloodsport for Elba, and it would be interesting to find out whether he originally planned to have him as Deadshot or if this was always what he intended.

Either way, it's going to be a lot of fun seeing what the actor brings to the DCEU...