Idris Elba nearly played Deathstroke — not Bloodsport — as the leader of James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad,” a casting twist revealed on DC’s new podcast “The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon?” Gunn abandoned the idea after Joe Manganiello, already cast as Deathstroke in the DCEU, asked him to stand down, leaving Elba to become Bloodsport instead.
Gunn laid out the chain of events on the podcast, which pairs the director with actors Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee to settle whether the 2021 film still counts in the rebooted DC Universe. The change from Deadshot to Bloodsport happened at Elba’s own request, after the actor reportedly saw negative reaction to the idea of him replacing Will Smith.
Three Things to Know About Elba’s Near-Miss as Deathstroke
- Gunn originally envisioned Elba leading the Squad as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, with concept art showing the mercenary in that role.
- Joe Manganiello, cast as Deathstroke in the DCEU, personally asked Gunn to drop the idea so he could keep the part.
- With Deadshot and Deathstroke both off the table, Gunn settled on Bloodsport — a character he says he’d welcome back.
How Bloodsport Became a Renamed Deadshot
When Warner Bros. set out to make “The Suicide Squad,” Will Smith — who played Deadshot in 2016’s “Suicide Squad” — wasn’t available to return. That left Gunn needing a new leader for the titular team, and early reporting in 2019 even suggested Elba had been recast as Deadshot himself.
But Elba and Gunn both resisted that framing. Bloodsport, a minor Superman villain best known for Kryptonite bullets, had no prior ties to the Suicide Squad. He only became the team’s leader because the role was built around Deadshot’s function in the story. The film even gives Bloodsport a young daughter, Tyla, played by Storm Reid — a clear echo of Deadshot’s daughter Zoe Lawton from the comics.
The Kryptonite bullets appear only as a line on Bloodsport's rap sheet, a nod to the character's comics history rather than a plot device.
James Gunn reveals that Will Smith’s Deadshot was initially meant to lead ‘THE SUICIDE SQUAD’. However, scheduling conflicts prevented Smith from returning, leading to Idris Elba being cast as his replacement. Elba wasn't keen on taking over the Deadshot role. Gunn then… pic.twitter.com/5ZscWSH3we
Why Joe Manganiello’s Request Changed the Casting
Before landing on Bloodsport, Gunn seriously considered casting Elba as DC’s most infamous mercenary, Deathstroke. Concept art for “The Suicide Squad” shows Slade Wilson leading the team.
Gunn ultimately dropped Deathstroke at the request of his friend Joe Manganiello, who had already been cast as the character in the DCEU. Manganiello appears briefly as Slade in a post-credits scene of “Justice League,” which was meant to set up Deathstroke as the villain of Ben Affleck’s never-made “Batman” movie.
Casting Elba as Slade would have precluded Manganiello from playing the role again. So, as a favor to a buddy, Gunn scrapped the idea. With Deadshot unavailable and Deathstroke spoken for, Bloodsport was the last man standing.
Where Deathstroke Stands in the New DC Universe
“The Suicide Squad” was made as part of the now-dead DC Extended Universe. With Gunn having since taken over as the co-head of DC Studios and rebooted the franchise via the DC Universe, the 2021 film sits in a limbo of canon — the question DC’s podcast now tackles head-on.
Gunn isn’t closing the door on Elba. “I like Bloodsport so much. I’d like to see the character return,” he said on the podcast. “I also like working with Idris. Idris is a good guy, so I would like to see him return as Bloodsport or even somebody else.” That is not a commitment, though — DC Studios currently has no active plans to reuse Elba’s Bloodsport.
Deathstroke, meanwhile, is getting the spotlight. In 2024, it was reported that the studio was developing a team-up movie featuring Deathstroke and the infamous Batman villain Bane, and as of October 2026 it’s been reported that the project (titled “Savage Hunters”) is a priority for DC Studios. DC Studios is also reportedly working on a “Teen Titans” movie, which could finally put Deathstroke in a film based on the comic where his character originated. Manganiello, for his part, told ComicBook.com in 2024 that Gunn advised him to “let it go” regarding his plans for the character.
What the Casting Shuffle Says About Franchise Math
The Elba near-miss is a small window into how modern franchise casting actually works. Studios don’t just pick characters — they manage actor relationships, legacy roles, and future projects at once. Gunn protected Manganiello’s shot at Deathstroke, sacrificed the bigger-name villain, and still landed a marquee star in Elba by remixing a lesser-known property.
| Character | Actor Considered | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Deadshot | Idris Elba (replacing Will Smith) | Rejected at Elba’s request; Smith unavailable |
| Deathstroke | Idris Elba | Dropped at Joe Manganiello’s request |
That juggling act matters beyond one movie. Deathstroke is now earmarked for the “Savage Hunters” project, while Elba’s Bloodsport remains in canon limbo. For fans, the takeaway is simple: the villain you almost got is often more interesting than the one you did — and in Hollywood, friendships between directors and actors can decide who wears the mask. What role would you have wanted Elba to play in the DC Universe — and do you think Gunn made the right call protecting Manganiello’s Deathstroke?
