A new report indicates that Idris Elba could either be playing the Sportmaster or Deathstroke in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. It also states Elba’s character will have a daughter.
The report from Geeks World Wide indicates the codename for Elba’s daughter is “Drew.” They described the character as a “teenage thief who has minimal contact with her father, who is in prison.” They also report, “Elba’s character will also be a killer in the film.”
Geeks Worldwide speculates that Elba’s character could either be Sportsmaster or Deathstroke.
Sportsmaster
There are two popular versions of Sportsmaster. Victor Gover and Lawrence Crock.
Gover first appeared in Manhunter #17 and was created by Kim Yale, John Ostrander and Doug Rice. The character was a star football player for the Gotham City Wildcats. However, it was discovered he had a metagene and he was subsequently cut from the team. Gover would become the new Sportsmaster and attempt to kidnap his former coach and owner. He was stopped by Manhunter and Batman.
The original Sportsmaster, Lawrence Crock was banned from playing any sports after he deliberately injured an opponent while playing football. After being banned, he turns to crime and becomes the Sportsmaster and would have a number of run-ins with Green Lantern. He typically attacked sporting events and would get away by faking his own death.
He would later team-up with Huntress. The two would get married and have a daughter named Artemis Crock.
Crock originally appeared in All-American Comics #85 in 1947. He was created by John Broome and Irwin Hasen.
More recently, Sportmaster would play a significant role in Young Justice. He and Cheshire would be the parents of Artemis, a member of the Young Justice team.
Deathstroke
The other possibility Geeks WorldWide floats is Deathstroke aka Slade Wilson. Deathstroke is one of the most ruthless assassins and mercenaries in the DC Universe. Slade Wilson enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 16. He would marry his commanding officer Adeline Kane and the two would have a son named Grant. The two would have another son named Joey. However, Joey would be kidnapped and his throat would be slashed by the Jackal.
Slade would lose his right eye after his wife became enraged and shot him because he had decided to gamble with their son’s life. He would eventually divorce Adeline Kane and encounter a Hmong woman named Lillian Worth. Slade aids her in escaping Cambodia and the two have an intermittent affair which leads to the birth of Rose Wilson, Slade’s daughter.
Deathstroke would go on to be one of the most formidable foes of the Teen Titans, and even cross blades with Batman a number of times. He would join the Suicide Squad in comic continuity in 2014 alongside Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Black Manta, and Joker’s Daughter.
While the character fits the bill, it’s more than likely Elba won’t be playing Deathstroke given Joe Manganiello played the character in a post-credit scene in Justice League. The character will also be appearing in DC Universe’s Titans Season 2 played by Esai Morales. There were also reports back in 2017 that Manganiello would be reprising the role in a Deathstroke solo film.
Two-Face
Another possibility that Geeks WorldWide leaves out is Harvey Dent aka Two-Face. Two-Face is one of the most well-known Batman villains, and the character isn’t a stranger to the Suicide Squad. In the animated film, [easyazon_link identifier=”B078FHJJR5″ locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay[/easyazon_link], Dent appears in the beginning as he is having Professor Pyg attempt to perform surgery in order to remove his Harvey persona. It’s a small role, but he does make an appearance.
What makes Dent a possibility is the fact that he has a daughter named Duela Dent. And that’s where Harvey’s big connection to the Suicide Squad is. Duela Dent’s villain name is actually Joker’s Daughter. However, in recent continuity, the character’s parentage would be retconned and she would become the daughter of Earth-3 hero the Jokester and Three-Face, Evelyn Dent. This version of the character would become a primary member of the New Suicide Squad.
Elba was originally thought to be playing Deadshot, replacing Will Smith. However, subsequent reports indicate that is not the case.
What do you make of this new report? Who do you think Idris Elba is playing? Do you have any other ideas?