Idris Elba Might Replace Will Smith In "Suicide Squad" Sequel: Report

Idris Elba is reportedly in talks to replace Will Smith as Deadshot.

BYAron A.Mar 06, 20193.9K Views

Will Smith's departure from the cast of Suicide Squad was announced last week as the film plots on the sequel. Smith took on the role of Deadshot in the film but it appears as if James Gunn and Warner Bros. already have somebody else in mind. According to Hollywood Reporter, Idris Elba recently met with Gunn to discuss the possibilities of replacing Smith in Suicide Squad 2.

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Idris Elba recently sat down with Gunn to discuss being cast as Deadshot since Will Smith decided not to renew his role. The meeting reportedly went extremely well. Gunn and Warner Bros. only choice for Will Smith's replacement was Idris Elba. Smith reportedly backed out of the film due to conflicting schedules that he wasn't able to work around.

Elba already has several projects under his belt right now in both film and television, as well as music. The actor is set to host Saturday Night Live this weekend. He's also set to play a villain in the upcoming spin-off Fast & Furious film.

Earlier today, Elba's music video for his collaboration with Stefflon Don, Wiley, and Sean Paul, "Boasty" debuted on YouTube. Elba showed off his bars on the track which isn't a first. He previously appeared on Skepta's remix of "Shutdown." Idris Elba will also be performing a DJ set at this year's Coachella.

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Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.