See James Gunn Respond To Reports He’s Been Fired From Suicide Squad 3
James Gunn has debunked a rumor that Suicide Squad 3 is in the works with David Ayer.
This article is more than 2 years old
Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn recently took to social to debunk a rumor that he’s been fired from Suicide Squad 3. For those unaware, a rumor is spreading online that the studio is looking to produce the sequel without following up on Gunn’s 2021 The Suicide Squad. When asked if the rumor was accurate, Gunn replied, “It’s not.”
The rumor suggests that the studio wants to bring back 2016 Suicide Squad director David Ayer and Will Smith as Deadshot. James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad served as a soft reboot in the franchise, which introduced many new characters and helped set up the much-acclaimed HBO Max show Peacemaker starring former WWE wrestler John Cena. Gunn’s film disappointed at the box office, earning $168 million worldwide against a budget of $185 million.
The James Gunn DC film’s underperformance at the box office was mainly due to it being released during a global pandemic. Warner Bros. also decided to release all of its theatrical films simultaneously on its HBO Max streaming service, a decision which caused friction amongst many filmmakers and the studio. Despite the film’s low box office numbers, it still scored higher than Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad film on Rotten Tomatoes.
While there are rumors of a possible reboot regarding the franchise, it appears James Gunn is hard at work on other DC projects. In June, the director teased his big plans with DC on social media. He included an image of Peter Capaldi’s Thinker, who played a significant role in Gunn’s film.
James Gunn is also hard at work making the next season of HBO Max’s Peacemaker and possibly other spin-off shows. During an interview with Deadline, Gunn confirmed that he and the studio are working on several “different shows.” He’s also set to appear in the upcoming animated Harley Quinn show.
Calls for a David Ayer return began after the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Several DCEU fans started a “release the Ayer-cut” campaign online. James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad utilizes some of the characters in Ayer’s film, including Harley Quinn and Rick Flag.
Speaking of Harley Quinn, James Gunn recently revealed that character’s fate on social media. When a fan asked if Quinn would return to the DCEU, Gunn replied, “Yes.” Quinn has become a mainstay in the Suicide Squad, thanks to her popularity in the comics.
James Gunn’s upcoming project for DC comes as Warner Bros. is reportedly about to merge with NBCUniversal. It’s unknown whether the DCEU properties will continue to see a theatrical release once the merging does happen. The studio seems focused on releasing already announced films such as Aquaman 2 and Shazam 2.
There is also James Gunn’s schedule with Marvel. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is set to round out the trilogy, but it’s unclear whether Gunn will continue producing work for the MCU. Now that he has other commitments with Warner Bros. and DC, Gunn may soon become one of the main figures in DC films going forward, and WBD landing him as an executive would be amazing.
