Since Zack Snyder announced his cut of Justice League will be released on HBO Max in 2021, DC fans have been calling on Warner Bros. to give director David Ayer the same chance to complete his original version of Suicide Squad. Now, Jared Leto, who portrayed the Joker in Ayer's film, has added his voice to the chorus of supporters hoping to see the 'Ayer Cut' of Suicide Squad released.
Released in 2016, Ayer's Suicide Squad performed well at the box office but was widely regarded as a weak entry in the DC Extended Universe franchise by audiences and critics. Rumors suggesting studio interference played a part in the disjointed narrative were seemingly confirmed when Ayer stated that his cut of Suicide Squad was ripped apart by Warner Bros. in the editing room. More recently, Ayer specifically stated the theatrical cut of Suicide Squad was unfair to Leto's portrayal of the Joker, which was widely panned by movigoers.
While there currently no announced plans to release an Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad, Leto will have a second chance to portray the Joker in Zack Snyder's Justice League. However, Leto noted that he understands the complications filmmakers face when working on a big-budget studio project and expressed his support for Ayer being given another chance to fulfill his original vision for Suicide Squad during an interview on Variety's Award Circuit Podcast. "I would love for him to be able to work on that and make the film of his dreams. It's always hard when you make these movies because it's such a pressure cooker. There are so many decisions that have to be made in a short amount of time," Leto said. "My hat's off to the directors and the producers, and the studios. It's not easy. You never start with something that's perfect. It's a race to try to make it as good as you can in a short amount of time. So I get it, having another swing at things? I'm sure we all can use that."
Following the mixed response to Suicide Squad, Warner Bros. ultimately decided to enlist Guardians of the Galaxy franchise director James Gunn to write and helm a follow-up feature. While Gunn's The Suicide Squad will feature a handful of characters from Ayer's film, including Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flagg, several newcomers will be added to the roster for the filmmaker's new take on the supervillain team. The film will be followed by a television spin-off for HBO Max centered on John Cena's Peacemaker, a master of weapons who believes in bringing peace at any cost, regardless of how many people have to be killed in the process.
Snyder himself recently added his support for Ayer being given the opportunity to complete his version of Suicide Squad. While the Justice League director had not reached out to his contemporary at the time, he did note that he hopes to discuss the matter with him one day.
Meanwhile, Gunn's The Suicide Squad is currently slated to be one of 17 Warner Bros. films released on HBO Max day-and-date with U.S. theaters. However, the decision reportedly did not sit well with Gunn, who, like many, had not been given advanced notice of the studio's plans.
Suicide Squad is now available on HBO Max.
Source: Variety