DC fans have been trying to work out who Idris Elba is playing in The Suicide Squad ever since he was cast. Initially, he was set to play Deadshot, replacing Will Smith, but then it was decided to give him a fresh character instead. There have been various theories or reports since then claiming who he could be portraying – Bronze Tiger and Vigilante are two of the more common choices – but apparently, his actual role is one that nobody’s guessed.
That’s the bold claim made by writer/director James Gunn on Twitter this week, which sent fans back to the drawing board. Well, Gunn’s words may now have been proven true, as Elba’s character has possibly been revealed thanks to info derived from an early test screening of the Task Force X sequel. And no, it’s not Vigilante. Though that’s reportedly what the character was called in the script and even on set in an effort to throw people off the scent, it’s not who he’s playing.
Instead, Elba is reportedly tackling the role of Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad. Also known as Robert DuBois, Bloodsport uses high tech weaponry as well as a handy teleportation device. In the comics, he dons khakis and a red Iron Fist-like mask, which is pretty different from the all-black armor Elba was wearing in set photos, but the firearms he was seen to be wielding would match with Bloodsport.
Bloodsport would also fit with the way Gunn appears to have undertaken a real deep dive into DC lore for this movie and used only obscure villains to fill out the Squad. Though Bronze Tiger is a fan favorite and one that folks want to see in the DCEU, the filmmaker seems to prefer going with unexpected characters, like David Dastmalchian’s Polka-Dot Man or Daniela Melchior’s Ratcatcher.
We’ll find out for sure soon enough if Bloodsport is who Elba’s playing though, as Gunn is expected to reveal the full team during The Suicide Squad showcase at DC FanDome later today, scheduled for 11:55 am PST/2:55 pm ET.
