Jared Leto Wants Another Swing At Suicide Squad

Heavy-handed studio interference rarely yields a better movie, as the DCEU has found out on several occasions. Joss Whedon’s extensive Justice League reshoots took place under the watchful eye of Warner Bros. and DC Films executives, only to bomb at the box office and inspire fans to spend the next two and a half years campaigning to see Zack Snyder’s original vision brought to life.

Wonder Woman, meanwhile, is regarded by many as the franchise’s best installment, but the most heavily criticized aspect of Patty Jenkins’ blockbuster was the third act showdown between Diana and Ares, which the director admitted was the studio’s call and not hers. Then there’s David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, which was essentially taken away from him in post-production as WB commissioned two competing edits without his involvement, with the one that fared better among test audiences getting the nod to hit theaters.

For a while, it looked as though the Ayer Cut was gaining some serious momentum, and the filmmaker was constantly revealing new images or offering his thoughts about how different and superior his take on the material would have been. However, the talk died down significantly as the focus shifted towards the Snyder Cut becoming a reality. But in a recent interview, star Jared Leto admitted that he’d love to see Suicide Squad in its unfiltered and intended form and would like another swing at things.

“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. My hat’s off to the directors, 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. And having another swing at things? I’m sure we all can use that.”

Ayer has already confirmed that it wouldn’t take much to put his version of Suicide Squad together with all of the footage already in the can, which is a far cry from the $70 million being invested in the Snyder Cut, and if the upcoming HBO Max exclusive performs well enough, then Warner Bros. might capitalize to see if lightning could strike twice.