James Gunn’sDCUcan still bring back Will Smith’sDeadshotand give him theSuicide Squadspinoff the actor originally wanted. From David Corenswet’s Superman and Milly Alcock’s Supergirl toThe Brave and the Bold’s Batmanand a yet-to-be-cast Wonder Woman, the DCU will introduce a new set of DC characters in both animation and live-action. However,various DCEU characters have survived the DCU reboot— mostly those related to James Gunn’sThe Suicide Squad: John Cena’s Peacemaker, Freddie Stroma’s Vigilante, Viola Davis' Amanda Waller, Sean Gunn’s Weasel, among others.
The Suicide Squadwas itself a soft-reboot ofSuicide Squad. Characters such as Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang appear to be the same version of the characters in both movies, butThe Suicide Squaddoesn’t directly reference the events of the first movie. Now that DCU projects likeCreature Commandosrecontextualize DCEU titles likeThe Suicide Squadwithin the DCU continuity, James Gunn’sThe Suicide Squadnow appears to fit within the latter franchise instead of the former.
Why Will Smith Left His Deadshot Role
Will Smith Almost Reprised His DCEU Role Before Leaving The Franchise
Back in 2016, a spinoff centered on Will Smith’s Deadshot was being discussed despiteSuicide Squad’s mixed reception. ASuicide Squadsequel had also been confirmed as soon as the first installment came out. However,Will Smith had to drop out of his Deadshot roledue to scheduling conflicts. AsSuicide Squad 2changed titles and directors, Will Smith played his Academy Award-winning role inKing Richard.In the wake of Will Smith’s absence, James Gunn decided to switch Deadshot for Bloodsport, with Idris Elba playing the new marksman.
Deadshot’s current whereabouts are unknown, though a DCU version of the anti-hero likely exists somewhere out there
The fact thatThe Suicide Squadnever acknowledged Will Smith’s Deadshot left his fate ambiguous and made it possible for him to return in an eventual sequel, but of course, the DCEU continued to go through various challenges that led to the end of the franchise in 2023. While the DCU’sCreature Commandos,Waller, andPeacemakerseason 2 are slowly recanonizing the events ofThe Suicide Squad,Suicide Squad’s plot and characters remain unacknowledged. In the meantime, Deadshot’s current whereabouts are unknown, though a DCU version of the anti-hero likely exists somewhere out there.
Will Smith Revealed He Wanted To Return As Deadshot
Will Smith Has A Clear Passion For His DCEU Anti-Hero
Throughout the years, Will Smith has expressed his interest in starring in aDeadshotsolo movie. On hisYouTubechannel, Will Smith has said,“I hope so. I love playing Deadshot. I really enjoyed that character,“and when the DCEU’sDeadshotspinoffwas still in early development,Smith revealed,“They’ve been talking about it. So if a good idea comes around, we’ve been having meetings. But I would love to. I love Deadshot”.As an A-list leading man, Will Smith has everything he needs to star in a successful DC solo film.
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Creature Commandos' connections to the DCEU’s The Suicide Squad suggests the DCU already established a big event in Superman’s backstory.
Speaking toGQin 2021, Will Smith also expressed his interest in playing a powerful Black superhero, saying,“I wanted to depict Black excellence alongside my white counterparts. I wanted to play roles that you would give to Tom Cruise.“Following the success ofBlack Panther, a Will Smith vehicle centered around one of Gotham’s deadliest assassins seems like a winning movie concept. Well into the DCU’s first chapter already, Will Smith may still be interested in reprising his DCEU role.
James Gunn’s DCU Reboot Should Revive Smith’s Deadshot For His Own Movie
Will Smith’s Deadshot Spinoff Is Still Possible Within James Gunn’s DCU
Just like John Cena’s Chris Smith joined the DCU despitethe Justice League’s cameo in thePeacemakerfinaleand Viola Davis' Amanda Waller is starring in her own DCU show despite leading Task Force X in the DCEU’sSuicide Squad, Will Smith’s Deadshot could easily get his own DCU movie or series soon as well.The success of Batman-adjacent villain solo projects like Todd Phillips’Jokerand Lauren LeFranc’sThe Penguinalso supports the idea that aDeadshotsolo movie could thrive.Clayfaceis already pioneering villain-led Batman movies in James Gunn’s DCU parallel to similarDC Elseworldsprojects.
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The narrative foundations for aDeadshotmovie already exist. In David Ayer’sSuicide Squad, a flashback scene revealed that Batman apprehended Deadshot in front of his daughter, which led Deadshot to hate Batman. Deadshot’s backstory would gel well with James Gunn’s penchant for father-child stories, as seen in theGuardians of the GalaxymoviesandPeacemaker. Batman’s involvement inDeadshotlikely wouldn’t be a problem, as Superman and the Justice League’s references inThe Suicide SquadandPeacemakerwill be ignored in the DCU.
