James Gunnwon’t be making the leap from Marvel to DC alone. THR reports thatThorfranchise starIdris Elbais in talks to replaceWill Smithin Warner Bros.' upcomingSuicide Squadsequel on the heels of the news that Smith would not return as Deadshot in the follow-up toDavid Ayer’s 2016 antihero team-up film.
According to the report, Elba is “the first and only choice for Gunn and the studio,” and met with the filmmaker on Friday. That meeting went well and the actor is now in talks with the studio. The wheels have been moving fast on the sequel ever since Gunn signed on to write and direct in October, with the filmmaker quickly turning around drafts of the script and already moving into the casting phase.
It’s a refreshing change of pace for the project, which has been in flux since it was announced, with a number of writers and directors passing through along the way. Most recently,The AccountantandWarriordirectorGavin O’Connorwas attached with writersDavid Bar KatzandTodd Stashwicklater coming on to help with the script. That version of the project reportedly fell apart because the story was nearly identical toBirds of Preyand O’Connor dropped off the project when the Harley Quinn-centric film was given the green light first.
Gunn’s version of the script is reportedly something of a soft reboot, which will mostly feature DC characters who did not feature in the first film. Major players like Deadshot andMargot Robbie’s Harley Quinn are expected to return, though THR notes they’re hearing conflicting reports on whether Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman) remains in the sequel. The film is heading towards an July 10, 2025 release date, so no doubt we’ll learn more details in the future as it continues casting.
Elba is coming off his run as Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which he likely wrapped up inAvengers: InfinityWar.TheMolly’s Gamestar already has another major blockbuster on the books this year – he’s joining theFast and Furiousfamily as the villain in theDwayne Johnson/Jason Statham-led spinoffHobbs and Shaw, which lands in theaters on August 2nd. Later this year, he’ll also appear as Macavity inTom Hooper’s film adaptation of the Broadway sensationCats.
