Suicide Squad director David Ayer believes there was a chance he could have risen through the ranks of Warner Bros. were his movie not panned by critics and fans.
Speaking on the Real Ones with Jon Bernthal podcast, the filmmaker explained that he’d heard talk of some executives throwing his name around to become the head of DC’s movies shortly before Suicide Squad hit theaters. “During a time, during Suicide Squad, when the dailies were coming in, people were like ‘Oh shit, maybe Ayer’s going to take over DC,'” Ayer said. “It’s ‘Game of Thrones in there. The palace politics were insane.”
While there was a substantial amount of excitement for Suicide Squad leading up to its 2016 release, the film was ultimately a bust for DC and Warner Bros. Despite making plenty of money at the box office, it was blasted by critics for its awkward writing, poor cinematography and uninspired story. In the years since its premiere, Ayer has noted that the theatrical of the film is starkly different to his original vision, noting that Warner Bros.’ interference with the project still shatters him to this day.
Suicide Squad’s Unfortunate Fate
“They never tested Batman v. Superman, so they were expecting a different result, and then they got hammered by all the critics,” Ayer explained. “Then it’s like, ‘Okay, we’re going to turn David Ayer’s dark, soulful movie into a f***ing comedy now.'” The director has further insisted that he’s met with current DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, who made his own Suicide Squad movie in 2021, about releasing what many fans have called “The Ayer Cut.” While there’s currently no word on whether the alternate version may see the light of day, Ayer is hopeful that it may eventually crop up.
Beyond Ayer, even some of Suicide Squad‘s stars have called on Warner Bros. to release the director’s cut of their film. Will Smith has vocally supporting the idea, stating that plenty of footage was left on the editing room floor while Joker actor Jared Leto has shared his own ideas for how the film could one day make it into the hands of audiences. “Absolutely! Why not? Why wouldn’t they? Why wouldn’t they? I mean, that’s what streaming’s for, right?” Leto explained.
Suicide Squad is now available to stream on Max.
Source: Real Ones with Jon Bernthal, via IndieWire