‘Let filmmakers have their vision’: ‘Suicide Squad’ director’s solution for bringing audiences back to DC is crushing in its irony

Few franchises of the modern era have been left stained by the grubby fingerprints of studio interference more often than the DCU, something Suicide Squad director David Ayer knows better than most.

Of course, he’s not the only one when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), Wonder Woman, and The Flash were all tampered with to various degrees, but that’s only one of the many reasons why audiences have been turning their backs on the superhero sandbox in their numbers.

Having endured three consecutive box office bombs this year alone, the odds are growing increasingly stacked against James Gunn as he seeks to turn the tide of apathy, but speaking from a place of experience, Ayer offered his two cents on social media with a response that’s every bit as factually accurate as it is crushing in its irony.

Obviously, that’s precisely the reason why Ayer is touting creativity as a potential savior, and it certainly helps exponentially that Gunn knows his way around both acclaimed comic book adaptations and expansive world-building as he seeks to reinvigorate the flagging DCU in his own image.

The big screen side of the reboot doesn’t kick off until Superman: Legacy lands in the summer of 2025, so there’s plenty of time to get everybody back onside with the saga’s brave new era. Sure, the SnyderVerse subset will remain furious at the very thought of anything that isn’t tied to what came before, but they’re not the ones being catered to at the end of the day.