When the news that Idris Elba was in talks to "replace" Will Smith as Deadshot in James Gunn's Suicide Squad follow-up broke in 2019, several trade reports pointed out that there was a chance he'd been cast as a different character entirely, and it later came to light that the Thor: Ragnarok actor would actually be playing Bloodsport.
This led to speculation that Gunn's original story idea did include Floyd Lawton, but when Smith declined to reprise the role, the filmmaker went with Robert Dubois instead. This may have been true, but it sounds like it was more a case of Smith being unable to return, as opposed to unwilling.
While answering Twitter questions for a video interview with GQ, the Bad Boys For Life star replied to a fan who wondered why he wasn't involved with Gunn's film. "Yeah, I was working and they were ready to shoot. It was a timing issue," confirmed Smith, before suggesting that he would be interested in stepping into the role again down the line.
Of course, The Suicide Squad's underperformance at the box office means Warner Bros. may decide to halt the franchise in its tracks, but should Gunn get the opportunity to make a sequel, it would be pretty cool to see Smith and Elba face-off as their respective sharp-shooting mercenaries. What do you guys think? Would you like to see Smith's Deadshot back in the mix? Drop us a comment down below.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.