Suicide Squad Star Says The Ayer Cut Would Be Much More Interesting

Between David Ayer’s Suicide Squad and Joss Whedon’s Justice League alone, there was more than enough behind the scenes turmoil to last the DCEU a lifetime. In the case of the former, he ended up getting his hands tied behind his back once shooting was completed, with the version that hit theaters completely unrecognizable from what the filmmaker had in his head.

The antihero ensemble piece wasn’t the subject of extensive reshoots, but it was ripped apart in post-production nonetheless. Warner Bros. even commissioned two competing edits, neither of which Ayer was involved in, and the one that scored the highest with test audiences got the nod to hit the big screen.

Suicide Squad may have made a lot of money at the box office, but it certainly wasn’t a good movie. Ayer has been very vocal about that fact, too, and he was no doubt furious when he found out that James Gunn had boarded the sequel to reposition it as a soft reboot. The Snyder Cut of Justice League may have given him hope that his maligned blockbuster could yet end up getting similar treatment, but the studio have yet to show any concrete interest in making it happen.

Joel Kinnaman, one of the few names returning for The Suicide Squad, has now admitted, though, that Ayer’s initial vision for the first installment would’ve been a lot more interesting than the vapid actioner that arrived in theaters back in the summer of 2016.

“You always want to see the filmmaker’s cut, you know? It’s always a shame when the filmmaker’s vision doesn’t make it to the cinema. Of course, there’s always going to be compromise. I find it’s the bigger the budget, the bigger the compromise. Usually that’s the case. I’m sure it would be much more interesting. David’s take on the Joker was really interesting, and that didn’t really come out in the movie that we saw.”

If the Snyder Cut pulls in the sort of numbers on HBO Max that everyone’s expecting, then the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad would remain very much on the table. Although, it might be an admission of defeat on WB’s part if they kept letting their former directors return to the well and release vastly superior edits of their most disappointing projects.