Will Smith Drops Out Of James Gunn's Suicide Squad 2

The upcoming Suicide Squad sequel has lost one of its biggest stars. Sources told Variety that Smith, who played Deadshot in the 2016 Oscar winning film, is not expected to return for the follow-up reportedly due in part to scheduling issues.

Smith and Warner Bros. reportedly parted ways amicably. It's also worth nothing that Smith was never even officially confirmed to return as Deadshot in Suicide Squad 2. According to the report, producers wanted Smith and Margot Robbie, who played Harley Quinn, to return for the sequel. No official casting announcements about Suicide Squad 2 have been made as of yet, however.

Suicide Squad might not have been a critical hit, but it made $746 million at the global box office, which basically guaranteed a sequel. As mentioned, it won an Oscar--for Makeup and Hairstyling.

The sequel is to be written and directed by James Gunn, who directed the Guardians of the Galaxy movies before Disney fired him. Production on Suicide Squad 2 is expected to begin this fall, and the movie has a release date of August 6, 2021.