DC Extended Universe auteur Zack Snyder may have gotten the chance to release his original version of Justice League back in 2021, but a similar opportunity has not yet been extended to Suicide Squad director David Ayer. The filmmaker’s 2016 comic book movie was, like Snyder’s Justice League, heavily tampered with behind the scenes, and Ayer has remained adamant that the version of Suicide Squad that was theatrically released differs greatly from his original, preferred iteration.
The ongoing wait for a release of his cut of Suicide Squad hasn’t stopped Ayer, however, from publicly voicing his support for DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn’s Superman. On December 17, Ayer asked fans not to divert any attention away from the release of the first Superman trailer by launching another Suicide Squad campaign in his honor, writing, “I’m excited to see the trailer and have heard through the rumor mill it’s pretty incredible.” His tweet was, unfortunately, met with negativity from certain fans, who took issue with the courtesy he was trying to extend to Gunn and, by extension, DC Studios’ new DC Universe.
In response, Ayer defended his actions and expressed dismay over some of the replies he received. “If supporting another filmmaker is so contentious, I’m just lost at this point,” he wrote on X. “I cannot f***ing wait to see [James’] trailer. Real talk. And I cannot wait to see his film. [I] absolutely am sure he crushed it. Because that simple optimism of Superman is all over it. And the little kid in me needs that right now.” He finished his tweet by announcing, “Gonna step back from all this for a moment.”
Over the past few years, Snyderverse fans, as well as Ayer himself, have consistently and passionately called for the release of his original, intended version of Suicide Squad, even as Warner Bros. has worked hard to leave the DCEU in its rearview mirror. A year ago, Ayer notably told Total Film that he believes his version of Suicide Squad will eventually see the light of day, too, predicting, “It’s coming. Something’s going to happen. Something’s going to be revealed. The truth always comes out.”
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In August 2023, Ayer also wrote on X, “All I know is my unseen film plays much better than the studio release. The interest in my cut being [shown] seems real and organic. And Gunn told me it would have its time to be shared.”
Only time will tell whether or not Ayer’s cut of Suicide Squad is ever actually unveiled publicly. For his part, he seems content, if a bit understandably disappointed, to wait and see how the future unfolds. The Beekeeper director has, at least, made it clear that he isn’t letting the uncertainty surrounding his Suicide Squad cut get in the way of his enthusiasm for Gunn and his still-fledgling DC Universe, and he doesn’t want fans to let it, either.
James Gunn’s Superman is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.