Idris Elba Is Replacing Will Smith In The “Suicide Squad” Sequel
To Hollywood, Idris Elba is probably just a darker skinned version of Will Smith. Other than their complexions, they are exactly the same and TOTALLY interchangeable. I mean, can you think of two other big Hollywood stars who can also rap (Ansel Elgort DOES NOT COUNT)? As soon as I saw a headline somewhere that said Idris would be replacing Will Smith in an upcoming project, I assumed it was the King James biopic playing Venus and Serena Williams’ dark-skinned daddy. But it wasn’t! Idris is replacing Will as Deadshot in the Suicide Squad sequel.
According to Variety, Warner Brothers needed to move quickly to replace Will as production on SS starts in September. And it sounds like they still have a lot more work to do before then. Luckily, James Gunn’s Bad Tweets Timeout expired just in time for them to hire him to write and direct. But none of the other main Squadders have been confirmed as of yet, and the movie is set to be released on Aug. 6, 2021.
Will dropped out because he was too busy doing Bad Boys 3, jumping out of airplanes, and counseling Jordyn Woods. But Idris is busy too! He’s had to go to numerous fittings for his Cats unitard (I hear they are having a hard time getting the crotch area PG-13), and he’s doing promotion for Turn Up Charlie, the Manny/DJ show on Netflix (which has a trailer now), and for Hobbes & Shaw, which I think is about a talking dog detective who can also drive?
On top of being actors who rap, they are both award winners. Will is a two-time Academy Award nominee, Idris won the prestigious Ibiza Foam Party DJ Of The Year award in 2007, and again in 2008. So in terms of trophy weight, Idris is ahead by at least 26 pounds (Will’s got a lot of Golden Globes, but the IFPDJOTY award is massive and made of lead). But I get it, it’s hard to avoid the comparisons when there are only two black male actors in Hollywood who can rap (again, Ansel DOES NOT COUNT).
Pic: Wenn.com