Suicide Squad escaped the DC jailhouse in August 2016 but found itself locked in less-than-favorable reviews. Despite the negative critical reception, David Ayer’s movie grossed a worldwide box office total of $746.8 million. With that kind of gross, a new Suicide Squad movie was bound to happen. However, it’s not a sequel. It’s a total reboot, and it’s officially called The Suicide Squad–and newcomer Idris Elba’s role is changing.
According to Comic Book, producer Peter Safran (Aquaman, Shazam) said, “It’s not Suicide Squad 2. It is not a sequel. I will leave that alone but, yes, it’s called The Suicide Squad.” That reiterates what was announced previously.
The return of Gunn has coincided with at least one big casting change. Will Smith, who played Deadshot, has dropped out of The Suicide Squad reportedly due to scheduling issues. In his stead, Idris Elba (Star Trek Beyond, The Dark Tower) will pick up the guns. [Update: Variety now reports that the Deadshot character will instead be dropped, with Elba set to play someone else instead. Just who that will be remains to be seen, though Variety notes this leaves open the door that Smith could return as Deadshot in the future.]
James Gunn (best known for helming the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies), who was fired and rehired to write and direct Guardians 3, will also write and direct The Suicide Squad.
Additionally, as Comic Book reports, Jai Courtney (Alita: Battle Angel, Terminator Genisys), who played Captain Boomerang, and Viola Davis (Fences, Widows), who played Amanda Waller, are expected to reprise their roles. There are currently no other casting announcements. Margie Robbie (I, Tonya, Terminal), who played Harley Quinn, is currently working on the femme fatale’s solo film, Birds of Prey.
The Suicide Squad is scheduled to release on August 6, 2021. This week brought with a trailer for the new Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix, as well as the debut of Shazam.
