The DC Extended Universe just proved how badly the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasted Idris Elba. The actor starred in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, the standalone sequel to David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad, playing Robert DuBois (aka, Bloodsport) and it’s here that he gets to show a little bit more range because the material allows him the space to do so. 

Before playing Bloodsport in the DCEU, Elba was Heimdall in Thor and its sequels, The Dark World and Ragnarok, with his final appearance being in Avengers: Infinity War, during which he was killed by Thanos. Heimdall was incredibly powerful, with the ability to see and hear most everything happening throughout the Nine Realms. He was loyal and brave, standing to guard Asgard at the Bifrost Bridge that separated the realm from all the others. But despite being in a plethora of Marvel movies, Elba’s role wasn’t very big and he never got anything to do outside of stand guard and occasionally fight for Asgard. As a character, he was interesting but severely underutilized, and Elba’s acting abilities wasted. 

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Elba’s casting in The Suicide Squad showed off what the actor was capable of in a superhero movie. Crucially, it revealed just how little he was given in the MCU and how much better his role as Heimdall could have been if he’d been given a meatier role. As Bloodsport, Elba has agency and an emotional arc with his daughter, who is ashamed to call him a father because he’s never around. He builds a connection with Ratcatcher 2 and gets to be in a leadership role (even if it’s under the control of the merciless Amanda Waller). It’s a substantial role that finally gives the actor a lot more flexibility to flaunt his range, which is something he didn’t get to do throughout the MCU as Heimdall, limited as he was by the scope of events his character could participate in. 

The Suicide Squad is an example of how to properly utilize such a high caliber actor. Even though Bloodsport is a part of the team, he isn’t overshadowed by others. Whereas in the MCU, Heimdall is merely relegated to guard duty. In the comics, the character has a deeper backstory that could have been adapted to the films. Maybe in another life, Elba could have been given a bigger role in the MCU because playing Heimdall, as integral as he was in certain situations, never amounted to much acting-wise. Such is not the case with Bloodsport, with Elba getting to play a powerful, tactical, and multidimensional character. 

It’s possible the actor could return to play Bloodsport in the DCEU. After all, this is the man who was convicted and sent to Belle Reve for shooting Superman with a Kryptonite bullet. It would be interesting if there was a TV series or a movie that delved more into that particular event, or a sequel to The Suicide Squad that sees Bloodsport back in action. Whether or not Elba returns to the DCEU, it’s good that he got an expanded role within the superhero genre that did him more justice than his time in the MCU. 

Key Release Dates
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  • The Batman (2022)Release date: Mar 04, 2022
  • DC League of Super-Pets (2022)Release date: Jul 29, 2022
  • Black Adam (2022)Release date: Oct 21, 2022
  • The Flash (2023)Release date: Jun 23, 2023
  • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)Release date: Mar 17, 2023
  • Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2022)Release date: Dec 16, 2022
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Mae Abdulbaki
(1107 Articles Published)

Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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