After a long campaign, David Ayer has finally given up on a director’s cut of Suicide Squad. The Fury director has been extremely vocal about his experience in the DCEU and campaigned long and hard for a director’s cut. Despite the low critical score for Ayer’s version of Suicide Squad, it’s one of the highest-grossing films of the DCEU as it collected an incredible $747 million worldwide. Now it’s no secret how executives tinkered with the film following the commercial failure of Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity is that we’ll never see just how great Jared Leto‘s Joker would truly be. Based on the film itself, it’s clear that there were scenes cut as there are some logic holes throughout the film. However, while Ayer did deserve to have his version released like Zack Snyder, it was wise of Warner Brothers to not give into the temptation and release an Ayer cut.
Hollywood Is Still A Business First and Foremost
This statement is nothing new, but it rings true. David Ayer’s Suicide Squad made a huge bank at the box office. James Gunn’s sequel/reboot didn’t even come close to reaching the $700 mark. However, you also have to take into account how Zack Snyder’s Justice League did for HBO Max. According to Deadline, Snyder’s cut of Justice League pulled in 2.2 million viewers in’s first week. On the other hand, The Batman – which premiered in theaters first – got a 4.4 million viewership in’s first week.
Though the overall total now isn’t known, the general consensus is that Zack Snyder’s cut of the big superhero film didn’t make the huge splash that many hoped it would. This doesn’t mean that Ayer’s Suicide Squad would’ve been a flop as plenty of fans may be curious to see the original vision of the Fury filmmaker, but it feels a little too late at this point. Shazam: Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have not done well at the box office and it appears that people are ready to move on from the DCEU. At this point, it feels more of a huge risk to spend money on a cut that likely won’t add any revenue to Warner Brother’s pockets.
David Ayer’s version of the Suicide Squad could be great! This is the guy who wrote Fury, Training Day, and End of Watch, so the premise of Suicide Squad was right up his alley. But given the current state of the DCEU, it simply makes no sense to spend more money on a dead property.
Warner Brothers Should Not Re-Visit The Past Anytime Soon
This is a murky subject since the DCU is a soft reboot. Though heavy hitters like Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman will be replaced, Gunn’s Suicide Squad characters like Peacemaker and Amanda Waller are scheduled for their returns. Even though the DCU still has elements of the DCEU, there’s no purpose in exploring Ayer’s version of the Suicide Squad again. While canon, it won’t make add more to the stories in the upcoming DCU. Plus, if Ayer’s version turns out to be a huge hit, will Warner Brothers be forced to make a sequel to that film?
The company was already pressed into doing a Snyder cut. Tempting audiences with the past can come back to bite them in the butt, especially since it’s unlikely that we’ll see names like Deadshot or Leto’s Joker in the future. The DCU is already confusing as is; for example, how can there be a new Superman or Batman when the world isn’t fully a reboot? It’s not like there was a swan song for these characters either. That’s just one of the many logic holes that surround the soft reboot. The last thing that people need is a new version of the Suicide Squad that has nothing to do with the current direction of the DC division.
It’s Simply Time To Move On
David Ayer seems like a nice guy and is a talented filmmaker. It sucks that the world will never get to see his true vision for Suicide Squad, but all parties involved should move on from this. Should Warner Brothers offer Ayer a future role in the new DCU? Definitely! James Gunn’s style aligns with Ayer’s, so the filmmaker wouldn’t be out of place if he was asked to return to the DCU. At first glance, the connecting stories that James Gunn has set up show plenty of promise and Warner Brothers should focus on the future of DC. Ayer’s Suicide Squad was fun for what it was, but that part of the DC universe needs to stay buried for a good period.
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