Will Smith Returning To The DC Universe?
Will Smith looks like he might be back as Deadshot.
This article is more than 2 years old
Long before David Ayer’s Suicide Squad released in 2016, Suicide Squad 2 had already been greenlit and announced to be in development, and both Ayer, as well as Will Smith, were set to return. Then Ayer abandoned the project and in came James Gunn, who was hired to direct and write The Suicide Squad, which is neither a sequel nor a reboot. Despite the introduction of new characters, many major characters from the first film were retained, though unfortunately, Will Smith was not ready to be a part of the film as Deadshot at the time. But if a recent report is true, then Smith is more than willing to reprise his character again.
It was David Ayer’s Suicide Squad that introduced the supervillains- Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, El Diablo, etc- who were recruited by Amanda Waller. While the film was a commercial success, it was severely criticized for its plot and writing. It is this group of supervillains, with a few faces missing and new characters filling in the void, that we will be meeting in The Suicide Squad, which is all set to release next month. But even though it is a standalone sequel and Gunn’s hasn’t expressed any confirmed plans of making a second film, insider Daniel Richtman has reported that Will Smith is pushing for more appearances of Deadshot in the DCEU.
The Suicide Squad producer Peter Safran had recently disclosed the reason behind the absence of Will Smith in the film and shared that for a while, the initial plans were to have Deadshot leading the band of rogue supervillains in James Gunn’s sequel-cum-reboot. But it couldn’t happen and contrary to the different speculations that ranged from creative differences to tensions arising between Smith and the production team, the real reason was the actor’s hectic schedule that conflicted with the plans of starting the filming of The Suicide Squad in September 2019.
Thankfully, Will Smith leaving The Suicide Squad wasn’t as dramatic as predicted and also his character was not replaced in the upcoming film. Both are definitely good signs when it comes to his return DCEU comeback. A few months ago, Giant Freakin Robot had reported exclusive information from one of our trusted and proven inside sources that Warner Bros. is pursuing Will Smith as they want him to return as Deadshot. He also has a lot of offers from the production house who are open to everything from a solo Deadshot movie or HBO series to him being a part of Suicide Squad 3 if The Suicide Squad is a success.
Though sadly we will not be meeting Will Smith’s Deadshot in the film, The Suicide Squad will mark the return of Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Joel Kinnaman as Colonel Rick Flag, and Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang from the first film. The new characters joining them will be Idris Elba as Bloodsport, John Cena as Peacemaker, David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, Peter Capaldi as The Thinker, Steve Agee as King Shark, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2, Nathan Fillion as T.D.K., Michael Rooker as Savant, Alice Braga as Sol Soria, Pete Davidson as Blackguard, Flula Borg as Javelin, Mayling Ng as Mongal, and Sean Gunn as Weasel. The Suicide Squad is scheduled to release across theaters and on HBO Max on August 6, 2021.
