Marvel and Disney’s reputation is a little too clean-cut to make room for James Gunn’s dark past. DC and Warner Bros don’t have much of a reputation to actually mess with at the moment, so can perhaps afford to take on the risk of hiring the director. Which is exactly what is happening as Polygon reports that James Gunn has been hired to write the script for Suicide Squad 2 along with the chance of possibly directing as well.
I guess if there is one director who would know how to turn the DC movies into exciting balls of fun it’d be him – and what DC movie would be more fun and ideally suited to James Gunn’s humour than Suicide Squad? In fact, if you think about it, when the first Suicide Squad trailers dropped filled with lots of jokes played to the backing of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, it did actually feel a lot like Guardians of the Galaxy and so thinking of Gunn now taking the franchise forward seems appropriate.
I’ll be honest and say I’m surprised that another studio was willing to work with Gunn so soon after the scandal surrounding his past, but I guess Warner Bros knows they need all the help they can get in resurrecting their fortunes with their DC movies.
Perhaps the biggest shock with this news is that it means Gavin O’Connor, who was previously hired to write and direct the sequel is no longer involved with the project. And a new report from CBR appears to suggest that its because the new Birds of Prey movie which has been fast-tracked by the studio had a similar plot to O’Connor’s plan so he decided to leave the project. That’s a lot of wasted effort on the sequel, but one that is necessary a the studio will want to go in a completely different direction now and hopefully Gunn can provide this for him. Still, if the studio wants to go down the route of high-action comedy, Gunn is definitely better suited for the role. Something which the director of the first film David Ayers agrees with as he tweeted his support for the change.
I think it’s an incredibly brave and smart move by the studio. James is the right man for the job! https://t.co/KaVD3dQosR
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) October 9, 2018
Noble words from Ayers, but perhaps reflecting that to, pretty much everyone, this is a good –though bold – decision from Warner Bros and one that all of sudden makes me more excited for a Suicide Squad sequel than I ever thought I would be. Hopefully there will be no further spillover from Gunn’s past that may impact on his reputation further so that we can get to see this project through to completion. I mean can you imagine what Gunn and the smooth-talking comedy of Will Smith could do to a film like this? There are suggestions it’ll be a complete reboot though – so it may have an entirely different cast. Still, I feel tempted to buy tickets already and they haven’t even started working on the film.
Last Updated: October 10, 2018
miaau
October 10, 2018 at 11:04
Is it too soon to say that, by definition, there cannot be a sequel to Suicide Squad?
Also, for a movie that was supposed to be fun, it was only fun for parts of the fun.
Also, yes, may make the sequel ,which should be a pre-quell, thereby invalidating the first movie in a puff of movie logic as all / most of the characters survive to a three-quell, with Batman, where Amanda Waller is revealed to be putting pressure on Oxford to change the definition of the word “suicide”, with a gun, an ice pick and a crane. To be seen to be believed, really.
Original Heretic
October 10, 2018 at 10:02
Marvellous news. *wink wink, nudge nudge*
Now we may actually get a good DC movie!
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
October 10, 2018 at 10:57
lol, back at it again!
But what about MoS and BvS, WW? 😛
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
October 10, 2018 at 10:57
lol, back at it again!
But what about MoS and BvS, WW? 😛
Original Heretic
October 10, 2018 at 11:09
Please don’t misunderstand me. I seriously WANT DC to give us good movies. They have great characters and some of their comics tell great stories.
I enjoyed WW, but that one good movie has been the exception to their middling efforts so far.
MoS had a few decent moments, as did BvS.
What they really need is someone who understands their characters and brings that across to the movies.
Let’s hope Gunn can get it right.
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
October 10, 2018 at 13:01
Was just pulling your leg man 🙂
You’re right though, they just need to let the directors BE DIRECTORS and stop rushing to catch up to Marvel. Impatience is never a good thing.
For the Emperor!
October 10, 2018 at 10:02
Good for him. I still think the firing was a knee-jerk reaction, but I still support their right to do so. DC hiring him with open eyes and full knowledge (hopefully) of the situation is a good sign. They realise he has grown as a person (hopefully) and that he is a great film maker (judging purely on GotG as I do not know of anything else he did lol). There is redemption in this world after all!
PS: Hopefully he learned that virtue signalling when you yourself have a past can eventually bite you in the ass 🙂
Guz
October 10, 2018 at 10:22
Well said, exact same sentiment here
Caveshen Rajman
October 10, 2018 at 10:11
Crazy that Marvel will hire actors with criminal records, actors who’ve done soft-core, and fuckin’ Goop herself. BUT DON’T YOU DARE MAKE SOME JOKES, SONNY JIM. DON’T YA DAAARE.
I hope Gunn turns the entire fuckin’ DC universe around singlehandedly lol.
Guz
October 10, 2018 at 10:26
Lol like they’d fire Robert Downey Jr before the release of infinity war part 2, there’s just no way for them to do it, would ruin the franchise and cost them a s*&t tonne of money and that is unfortunately all the house of mouse cares about
Magoo
October 10, 2018 at 10:19
What would be really awesome is if this starts a war of passive-aggressive derogatory remarks being exchanged between the two studio’s comic book films.
Man, I had trouble wording that, but I’m sure I did fine just.
BradeLunner
October 10, 2018 at 14:22
LOL!
Guz
October 10, 2018 at 10:20
Good for him, Hope he makes an awesome movie and smashes it out of the park.
miaau
October 10, 2018 at 11:04
Is it too soon to say that, by definition, there cannot be a sequel to Suicide Squad?
Also, for a movie that was supposed to be fun, it was only fun for parts of the fun.
Also, yes, may make the sequel ,which should be a pre-quell, thereby invalidating the first movie in a puff of movie logic as all / most of the characters survive to a three-quell, with Batman, where Amanda Waller is revealed to be putting pressure on Oxford to change the definition of the word “suicide”, with a gun, an ice pick and a crane. To be seen to be believed, really.
Original Heretic
October 10, 2018 at 11:06
Other reports on this I’ve seen have suggested that it could be a reboot instead of a sequel.
miaau
October 10, 2018 at 11:09
well, at least with a reboot none of the CIA staff who labelled the op “Suicidal” should be fired then. Silver lining! Jobs numbers stay the same!!!!
Geoffrey Tim
October 10, 2018 at 11:20
So does this one. ” There are suggestions it’ll be a complete reboot though – so it may have an entirely different cast”
Original Heretic
October 10, 2018 at 11:22
Hah! Bad me, I didn’t read the whole thing because I’d already seen this story.
Captain JJ
October 10, 2018 at 14:29
That would be excellent. It needs a good rebooting.
Admiral Chief
October 10, 2018 at 13:07
Reboot all the things
Screw continuity
Viva
Allykhat
October 10, 2018 at 11:16
Disney/Marvel may soon regret their decision…
Craig "CrAiGiSh" Dodd
October 10, 2018 at 11:44
Great news for Gunn and I have a feeling he will take Suicide Squad to the level of goodness it deserves.
BradeLunner
October 10, 2018 at 14:20
Yes! Called it! Amazing news!
Captain JJ
October 10, 2018 at 14:29
I’d rather have him work on something new and unique than try to salvage a series around a terribly designed bunch of characters.