'Suicide Squad 2': WB Execs Debating Recasting or Replacing Will Smith's Deadshot

Following the news that Will Smith wouldn't be featured in the upcoming Suicide Squad sequel, fans began speculating about what this could mean for the film and how it would potentially incorporate the actor's departure. According to a report from Variety, Warner Bros. is currently contemplating whether they will find a new actor to take on the role or remove the character of Deadshot entirely.

Journalist Justin Kroll followed up his story by tweeting, "One item I forgot to add to story, sources say execs are now deciding whether they will recast the role or replace Deadshot with a different character from the DC universe to join the team in sequel."

The reason for Smith's departure is reportedly due to scheduling conflicts, as the film is slated to head into production this fall, though it wasn't specified what project the actor could possibly be filming at that time.

In 2016, Suicide Squad became one of the biggest hits of the year at the box office, taking in $746 million worldwide. Critical reception of the film, on the other hand, was far less promising, sitting at 27 percent positive reviews on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. The film might have been a mess as a whole, yet many reviews noted that Smith's Deadshot was one of the movie's highlights, alongside Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn.

James Gunn has been tapped to write and direct The Suicide Squad, with various reports previously hinting that the film would serve as a reboot more than a sequel, which would allow for the film to debut all-new characters. Given that the roster of the DC Comics team regularly changed, seeing new characters and performers in the upcoming film would fall in line with their comic book roots. With Smith now out of the picture, it would likely make more sense to start from scratch and replace all of the characters from the first film, though with production reportedly beginning this fall, it's possible that Gunn's script already includes Deadshot, which would potentially require rewrites to compensate for the character's absence.

The Suicide Squad is slated to land in theaters on August 6, 2021.

Do you think the film should replace the actor or the character altogether? Let us know in the comments below!

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