Will the Comic Deadshot Be An African American?

[Jody Garland]

Not until the next soft reboot. Wouldn't mind it then- it's not like anything in Deadshot's back story depends on him being white- but I don't want it 'till then. Changing a character's race on the fly is just weird.

[Nite-Wing]

I think they'll introduce a new deadshot who is black and go forward with that character and not the white deadshot. It could work too they have already done it with Lobo

[Robotman]

As long as he doesn't start using corny Will Smithisms and one liners I have no problem with the change in ethnicity. "All hell nawww!"

[Güicho]

I think they'll introduce a new deadshot who is black and go forward with that character and not the white deadshot. It could work too they have already done it with Lobo

For the "new" version they can always use the-
I'm the D(r)ead Shot Pirate Roberts explanation.

[gwangung]

What? Nobody suggested the obvious retcon that Floyd is literally a bastard?

[Poe]

DC can just bust out that presto-chango race changing machine that they have used so successfully in the past with Firestorm. No, that didn't work. The Atom? Nah. Wally W...well, I'm sure it will work this time

[Anthony Shaw]

I would have preferred Bronze Tiger be used, but not played by Will Smith. I'm not a Deadshot fan, but I don't see the need to have Will play him outside of Smith being a major film star.

I would rather DC use their already great characters of color instead the constant race-bending.

Based on DC's track record, I doubt it. They're really bad with the synergy thing.

OTOH, as Desh just said, maybe this stuff will work differently after the move to Burbank,

Personally, I think they should do it. I would have preferred, by far, if Smith was playing Bronze Tiger. But if he has to be Deadshot, let's make Deadshot more in line in the comics, why not?

[CagedLeo730]

With all this talk about Wally West, there hasn't been the slightest hint of him appearing in the Flash. It seems that Iris was an only child. Wally will either have to be her cousin or her dad's side of the family or adopted in the future. That's an interesting kind of synergy.
DC is well known for their multiverse. Hell, they are using a multiverse approach when it comes to TV and movies. Deadshot is white in Arrow and the Arkham animated film.

[Poe]

Deadshot is white in Arrow and the Arkham animated film.

And everywhere else

[Frontier]

I really hope not. Not that I'm against more diversity in the DC universe, far from it, but I don't want attempts at movie synergy on the level of Marvel. I don't have any reason to believe that Will Smith won't be great as Deadshot, and that audiences will like him, but I'd like DC to maintain a good separation between their respective works/universes rather than try and make them mirror each other to the extent Marvel has of late. Not to mention there already being two live-action white Deadshots, which didn't seem to factor into casting Will Smith as Lawton. Maybe if it's one or two things changed just post-Convergence, and if Lawton at least retains his personality, I'll be okay with it but that's about it.

[skyvolt2000]

I think there is only one thing and one thing only that will make that happen.
if the movie ends up being good.

if not.
well...

there is a reason why Catwoman doesnt look like Haley Berry on the comics.

Well the movie did show Selina Kyle (Batman Returns version) in a series of photos of other Catwomen. You had 2 in the Adam West Batman series.

You can do it without getting rid of the other one. Just have them live in different parts of the country.

I expect Deadshot to be a Will Smith look alike from another part of the country that happens to have the same name as the white one.

changing the character in the comics to accommodate your casual moviegoer who will in all likelihood, never even open a page of a comic, makes zero sense.

Well to be fair a lot of those book never make it to a book store or library.

It took John Stewart as GL to get Justice League trades into the public libraries a trend that continues despite the fact he's not on team now.
It took Black Panther marrying Storm to get his trades ordered.
Jason Rusch, Jaime Reyes, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown & Kendra Saunders as their respective heroes t get those trades ordered.
Black Nick Fury got a few Marvel books ordered.

Then you have the case of we love blank in the movie and tv show but you have NOTHING with him in the comic.

That was an issue with Static during Static Shock.
That was an issue with Hal Jordan in a solo series while John was not.

Dc has somewhat learned from that and thus you have Arrow & Flash tv comics.

If Deadshot is your break out star or the only reason folks went to see the film-Dc has an issue do you phase him in?

[Desh]

Well to be fair a lot of those book never make it to a book store or library.

I actually subscribe to this way of thinking. I believe one reason many people who loved comic properties in other mediums but did not read the comics was because the comics were inaccessible, being relegated to boutique shops. Many people do not even have such a store within a comfortable distance from where they live. Now, however, we can sit in our homes, buy the comic online, and read them through our browser or app. We don't even have to be at home to do that. We can be anywhere. Comics are very accessible now.

Then you have the case of we love blank in the movie and tv show but you have NOTHING with him in the comic.

That was an issue with Static during Static Shock.
That was an issue with Hal Jordan in a solo series while John was not.

This is another reason why some people are turned away. The comics often did not resemble what they became fans of in other mediums. Speaking personally, I loved John Stewart from Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, but most of the solo Green Lantern comics I found at the time primarily featured either Hal Jordan or Kyle Rayner. So, I was kinda' like "????????"

I agree that it's probably only going to be a relatively small percentage of fans of the property from other mediums that will be interested in checking out the comics (the especially intrigued or hardcore), but I think that still makes a big difference. For example, I think the primary reason Batman is so popular today is because of his success in other media formats. His cult classic show, his beloved cartoon series, his smash hit movies, his appearances all throughout the DCAU, his hit video games, and so on. You know some of the people who indulge in all that are going to get into the comics through it. And fortunately for Batman, whatever is going on in his comics usually won't alienate fans of the other stuff. So... extreme success!

So, long story short, I don't think it's just the case that fans of TV/movies/games/or whatever never want to read comics. That is the case for many of them but not all. There is also the aspect that the comics often do not comfortable accommodate people looking to get into the comics through the other media, because the comics are often in direct contradiction to what they initially became fans of.

[Radix]

Magneto was originally not their father, that was itself a retcon.

[Radix]

Also Deadshot is on the suicide squad, it is not far fetched for him to die and Waller replace him with someone else to take on the title. It is the Suicide squad after all.

[electr1cgoblin]

Also Deadshot is on the suicide squad, it is not far fetched for him to die and Waller replace him with someone else to take on the title. It is the Suicide squad after all.

Yes, but what I was asking was "Will Floyd Lawton be African-American?". Killing him off and replacing him wouldn't create another Floyd Lawton.