Will Smith will not play Deadshot in Suicide Squad 2

Reports suggest the actor's split from the upcoming production was "amicable"

The sequel to Suicide Squad is set to take place without Will Smith after the American actor parted company with the upcoming film. Filming is reportedly not due to begin until the autumn ahead of a touted release of August 2021, and while Smith's return as gun-toting assassin Deadshot had been assumed, it had yet to be made official by studio Warner Bros. Variety say that a scheduling conflict was ultimately the reason Smith decided he could not reprise the role, with it suggested that the split was "amicable" between the two parties. Whether the character of Deadshot returns for Suicide Squad 2 remains to be seen with there little detail of the film so far. Margot Robbie is rumoured to appear once again as Harley Quinn with James Gunn taking over from the original's director and writer, David Ayer. Gunn is best known for directing the Guardians of the Galaxy series, having written the 2000 film Scooby Doo and featured on Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame as an executive producer. Many see his task for Suicide Squad 2 as rather sizeable, following on from a movie that suffered filming issues and was largely panned in the media before nonetheless making a substantial amount of money, with the sequel now without one of its biggest box office draws.