The Suicide Squad: Idris Elba’s Role Revealed

The Suicide Squad has been one of the most buzzed-about projects on DC’s radar, as fans are eager to see what James Gunn’s take on the iconic antihero group looks like. The film has already been confirmed to include a star-studded ensemble cast, including Luther and Thor: Ragnarok star Idris Elba. Fans have spent months speculating about who Elba could be portraying in the film — and now we finally have our answer. During The Suicide Squad‘s panel as part of the DC FanDome virtual convention, it was revealed that Elba will be portraying Bloodsport in the upcoming DC film.

Bloodsport has been a sporadic figure of DC Comics since the 1980s, with three different iterations of the character popping up over the years. Initially, the moniker was held by Robert DuBois, an African-American man who has a mental breakdown after his brother returns home severely injured by the Vietnam War. DuBois is manipulated into believing that Superman is his enemy, and faces off against the Kryptonian with a teleporter and Kryptonite bullets.

The second Bloodsport, Alex Trent, was a fanatical racist and a member of a white supremacist group, and frequently went toe-to-toe with his predecessor, even going so far as killing him. A third unnamed Bloodsport was established in later continuity, and partnered up with Hellgrammite and Riot. Elba’s version of Bloodsport will be the character’s live-action debut.

For months, speculation has swirled around who Elba will be playing in The Suicide Squad, which makes the reveal of him playing Bloodsport all the more surprising. The most prominent theories were that Elba would be portraying Vigilante or Sportsmaster, with some even throwing Martian Manhunter into the fray too.

The Suicide Squad is expected to include Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, Steve Agee as King Shark, and Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher. John Cena, Flula Borg, Nathan Fillion, Mayling Ng, Pete Davidson, Sean Gunn, Joaquin Cosio, Juan Diego Botto, Storm Reid, Taika Waititi, Alice Braga, Tinashe Kajese, Peter Capaldi, Julio Ruiz, Jennifer Holland, and Michael Rooker have all been cast in the film.

Are you excited to see Idris Elba in The Suicide Squad? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The Suicide Squad is scheduled to be released in August of 2021.