The Suicide Squad: James Gunn Reveals How Idris Elba's Secret Role Confused His Crew
Death, taxes, and spoiler leaks.
Just about every blockbuster is plagued by secretive information making its way to the internet. Whether it's leaked set photos or early plot details, spoilers have become an inevitable part of modern cinema.
Thankfully for fans, the creators behind these projects care so extensively about their projects' purity that they go to unimaginable lengths to protect leaks.
A VIGILANT FAKE-OUT FOR THE SUICIDE SQUAD
James Gunn doesn't mess around.
As he answered fan questions on Twitter, The Suicide Squad director noted that no fake death scenes were shot but revealed that Idris Elba's Bloodsport was given a fake name for the duration of production to avoid spoilers. This secrecy strategy seemingly worked out so well that it confused the film's production designer:
"We called him Vigilante in the script & on his chair back. We kept it so secret that, we were a week away from finishing shooting & the production designer, Beth Mickle, said, 'wait, he’s not Vigilante?'"
While Vigilante won't be appearing in August's The Suicide Squad, Gunn noted that his live-action DCEU debut is not that far away:
"And to make it weirder, DC’s character Vigilante is one of the leads of my #Peacemaker show."
JAMES GUNN: GUARDIAN OF SPOILERS
It may seem expected, but it is always amazing to hear about directors who go to the extremes to protect their projects' big reveals.
From campaigns like #DontSpoilTheEndgame to lying to cast members about a finale's massive cameo, Hollywood's best offerings are often paired with high concern about keeping the experience pure. James Gunn's emphasis on protecting a character's identity during production only heightens anticipation for what's to come in the actual film.
After all, Idris Elba's character was revealed to be Bloodsport this past August at DC FanDome. If that revelation was something that was meant to be public a year before the film's premiere, fans can only imagine what is being saved for the movie itself.
Gunn has promised a lot of death in his DC Comics directorial debut. Knowing that no fake scenes were shot only increases the chances that most of the film's ensemble is not making it out alive.
The Suicide Squad lands in theaters and HBO Max on August 6, 2021.
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