Idris Elba Confirms Return To His Best Comic Book Movie Character?
This article is more than 2 years old
With so much bad news coming out of all the companies under the umbrella of Warner Bros. Discovery, it’s a refreshing change to get something encouraging. The good news we have is that Idris Elba sounds like he’s on his way back as Bloodsport. The Luther star recently talked about an upcoming project, saying not quite enough to confirm, but just enough to get any Suicide Squad and Bloodsport fans speculating.
Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes writer Erik Davis was recently interviewing Elba about his upcoming action thriller Beast. Offering fans a preview of the interview, Davis tweeted that he asked Elba whether we’d see him in an upcoming Marvel or DC project first, and that Elba answered that “he’s got a really big thing cooking for DC right now.” You can see Davis’s tweet below.
Could it possibly be that Idris Elba is working on a DC project that doesn’t see him reprising the role of Bloodsport? Sure, it’s possible. He could be attached to an animated project like DC League of Super-Pets. But would that really rate as something “really big?” Even before the advent of HBO Max — or the short-lived streamer DC Universe — most animated DC films went straight to Blu-ray and video on demand. No, we think Elba’s quote can only mean Bloodsport is on his way back.
If Idris Elba is on his way back as Bloodsport, then in most likelihood, that means we’ll be getting a Bloodsport series on HBO Max. Why a series and not a movie? Well, it’s difficult to imagine Elba being willing to move forward with the character if James Gunn isn’t attached; if not as writer and/or director, then at least as a producer. And if Gunn is involved, it will be a TV series. After the massive success of Peacemaker‘s inaugural season, Gunn let it be known that while he would love to eventually make a sequel to last year’s The Suicide Squad, that for the next few years his life is going to be all about the small screen. After all, last month Gunn revealed he has no less than three Peacemaker spinoffs in various stages of development. How could he have time to make a movie?
We know what you’re thinking — in the wake of Batgirl‘s cancellation, how could Idris Elba have a “really big” Bloodsport series on the way at HBO Max? Well, it’s come out that Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav believes original movies made for HBO Max don’t make financial sense, but he hasn’t said the same thing about original series. There were reports of HBO Max original films like The Witches and An American Pickle being quietly pulled off the streamer, but not original series like Hacks, It’s a Sin, or Station Eleven. Not to mention that shortly after the Batgirl news broke, James Gunn assured worried fans that season 2 of Peacemaker was safe. In most likelihood, Zaslav and co. see original series as a better investment streaming-wise than films.
Of course, if Idris Elba is on his way back for a Bloodsport series — and assuming the reports of Viola Davis getting her own Amada Waller series are true — what’s spinoff #3? Can we put in our vote for The Detachable Kid? Or King Shark? We want The Detachable Kid, but we’ll take King Shark.
