The Suicide Squad: Idris Elba Explains Deadshot and Vigilante Rumors (Exclusive)

When The Suicide Squad finally debuts in theaters and on HBO Max next week, it will bring a number of unexpected DC Comics characters onto the big screen, including Idris Elba‘s Robert DuBois/Bloodsport. The very nature of who Elba was playing in the blockbuster film was shrouded in quite a lot of secrecy, leading to theories that Elba could be playing everyone from Bronze Tiger to Vigilante to Deadshot, the latter of whom previously appeared in 2016’s Suicide Squad played by Will Smith. This was even carried over onto the film’s set, with writer-director James Gunn revealing that even some of the crew members believed he was playing Vigilante up until they saw the finished film. In an exclusive interview with ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis, Elba was asked about the red herrings, and revealed that it was the best way to combat “anyone that was being nosy.”

“It wasn’t more of a deception. We just needed to give it a name because we didn’t know what character from the DC Universe we were going to use,” Elba explained in our interview, which you can check out in the video above. “So, Vigilante just felt like a good red herring for anyone that was being nosy. And, ultimately, we really wanted to get the character right and figure out who makes sense to be in this version of the Suicide Squad. So, listen, I’m glad that people were surprised because the Deadshot character is an incredible character and should come back.”

The nature of Smith’s Deadshot potentially returning for The Suicide Squad apparently was discussed, but ultimately fell apart due to scheduling. Vigilante, meanwhile, is set to properly appear in the Peacemaker TV series, which will spin out of the events of the film.

“We discussed it,” Safran admitted of Smith’s potential return in The Suicide Squad during a 2019 set visit. “But I think the Will [Smith] of it all was really more of a schedule thing than anything else. We knew we had to start shooting in September because, frankly, we knew probably earlier than other people did that James was going to come back and do Guardians. So it was really important that we started shooting when we started shooting and Will wasn’t available, and that kind of made it easier all around. What are you going to do? He’s not available. So it’s also nice to, frankly, help separate it from the first movie, I think, in a greater fashion.”

Luckily, it seems like fans have gravitated towards Elba’s take on Bloodsport, with the character getting a fair amount of merch and even a downloadable skin in Fortnite.

The Suicide Squad releases in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6.