David Ayer Confirms He Has Given Up On His Suicide Squad Cut - Here's Why
It's over for David Ayer's "Suicide Squad."
The DC Extended Universe has a director's cut problem. Or, rather, had one. Much has been said about Zack Snyder's theatrical cut of "Justice League," which didn't live up to the creative maverick's expectations. "Avengers" director Joss Whedon was brought on board by Warner Bros. to retool things after Snyder stepped down due to the tragic death of his daughter, shrinking its runtime and scope and creating a subpar product that failed to please both critics and fans. Shortly after the picture's release, fans rallied together to compel Warner Bros. to release the once-mythical "Snyder cut" to the masses. And after years of pleas, the "300" director got his wish with the 2021 four-hour long "Zack Snyder's Justice League," delivering a version of the superhero flick that he was proud of via HBO Max.
For "Suicide Squad" director David Ayer, this was a step in the right direction. Ayer, too, was disappointed with the way that Warner Bros. handled the theatrical cut of his ensemble vigilante picture, rallying his fans together to support the release of a director's cut, playfully dubbed the "Ayer cut." And for a while, the momentum seemed to be there. But now, Ayer is killing any hope for a "Suicide Squad" director's cut. "I'm done with DC," he boldly claimed on X (formerly known as Twitter). In another (since-deleted) X post, Ayer added, "Nothing about the situation feels good. Studio has no interest in releasing it. It's time to run and not look back."
Ayer has been championing his cut of the film since 2020. However, times have radically changed since then, as the DC cinematic universe is actively being retooled and rebooted by James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Why David Ayer's Suicide Squad was never released
The December 2023 release of "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" served as the final flick in the DCEU. Now, all eyes are on the James Gunn-directed "Superman: Legacy," which is set to formally launch an interconnected universe in 2025. With the so-called "Snyderverse" over, it seems like fans can now (bitterly) say goodbye to the prospect of a director's cut of "Suicide Squad." The film's theatrical cut emerged as a box office success, grossing over $745 million worldwide in 2016, when the momentum for the DC franchise was at an all-time high. Despite stellar box office receipts, the movie was maligned by critics and fans alike, with significant criticism hurled at the film's choppy editing, loose narrative, and over-indulgent use of pop songs.
Since that version's release, Ayer has publicly discussed how his iteration was drastically different. Some notable differences include more of Jared Leto's Joker and a radically different tone, which was less reliant on comedy. A 2016 report from The Hollywood Reporter, released days before the film's release, revealed that Warner Bros. had several competing cuts of "Suicide Squad," taking the final cut privilege away from Ayer.
Because of the response that "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" received, Warner Bros. was insistent that "Suicide Squad" feature a lighter, more crowd-pleasing tone that ultimately didn't work out. The studio event went ahead and commissioned a cut of the film edited by Trailer Park, the folks who edited the film's trailer.
Is David Ayer really done with DC?
In a 2021 letter, David Ayer called out Warner Bros. for taking "Suicide Squad" away from him, detailing his version of the film. "I made something amazing – My cut is intricate and emotional journey [...] And my cut is not the 10 week director's cut – It's a fully mature edit by Lee Smith standing on the incredibly work by John Gilroy. It's all Steven Price's brilliant score, with not a single radio song in the whole thing," Ayer wrote, before describing how his version had traditional characters arc and a "solid 3rd Act resolution."
Ayer has never shied away from being transparent with fans and in August 2023, it seemed like his efforts were paying off. The director suggested then that "[James] Gunn told me it would have [its] time to be shared," but nothing has manifested since then. Now, it looks like Ayer is really ready to move on, putting "Suicide Squad" behind him once and for all. The creative acknowledged that releasing his cut isn't as simple as uploading it on Max. "No one is autonomous in Hollywood," Ayer shared on X in early January 2024. "A large film will be presented to a green light committee and the CEO and the corporate board. There are many presentations and sign offs."
Since the release of "Suicide Squad," Ayer has directed the Netflix fantasy-cop film "Bright" and the Shia LaBeouf-starring "The Tax Collector." Now, all eyes are on his upcoming collaboration with Jason Statham, "The Beekeeper," which buzzes into cinemas on January 12 2024.