James Gunn Wished Idris Elba Happy Birthday With An A+ The Suicide Squad Set Photo

Idris Elba in The Suicide Squad

Minor spoilers ahead for The Suicide Squad.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

The most recent installment in the DC Extended Universe came over the summer with James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. In addition to a handful of returning characters, the massive ensemble cast also included plenty of newcomers like Idris Elba’s Bloodsport. And Gunn recently wished Elba Happy Birthday with an A+ set photo.

The talented Idris Elba celebrated his 49th birthday over the long weekend, with plenty of messages of love arriving online as a result. James Gunn got in on the fun, sharing a photo from the set of The Suicide Squad. Check out Elba below, rocking the uncomfortable wire gear required to make certain action sequences into a reality.

See more

Celebrities: they’re just like us. Because while Idris Elba was a deadly killer in The Suicide Squad, making movies can sometimes be a bit goofy. But despite his deep squat and the wires, Elba still looks as poised as ever. No wonder he’s always rumored to be playing the next James Bond.

The above image comes to us from James Gunn’s personal Twitter account. In it we see Idris Elba on a set piece, completely surrounded by blue screens. This is presumably the sequence where Bloodsport is falling floor by floor as Jötunheim was destroyed around him. It’s a funny gag in the movie’s third act, which also allows Bloodsport to catch Peacemaker as he was going to kill Ratcatcher 2.

The DCEU has found its streaming home on HBO Max, which will house the Peacemaker spinoff series. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

While the sequence of Bloodsport crashing through Jötunheim’s stories is a funny gag, it still seems like a massive undertaking for those involved in The Suicide Squad. Wire work, visual effects, and stunt teams were needed to pull it off. Although getting the above image of Idris Elba shared online for his birthday is a bonus.

It should be interesting to see if/when Bloodsport manages to return to the DCEU. While James Gunn recently denied rumors of a spinoff, the filmmaker does have ideas for future DC projects. Idris Elba gave a killer performance in his debut as the villain, and seemingly became the leader of Task Force X in the process. Let’s hope he returns to the big screen, possibly featuring a crossover with Superman or Will Smith’s Bloodsport. A guy can dream, can’t I?

The Suicide Squad is still in theaters and is currently no longer streaming on HBO Max. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.