Thankfully, it looks like you may already be going in this direction because I’m sure Patty Jenkins is being given free rein with Wonder Woman 2 (she’d better) and Matt Reeves is said to have been given carte blanche on The Batman. If so, this is to be commended because not only will better final products be yielded, but I’d like to think we’d just be rewarded with better films, as was the case with The Dark Knight Trilogy. With so many superhero movies flooding cinemas these days, I personally feel a lot of them aren’t worth more than one viewing. That said, there’s a reason why I’m constantly revisiting Christopher Nolan’s take on the Caped Crusader, and I yearn for something else on that level.
Oddly enough, we have an anomaly in our midst, that being Suicide Squad. Divisive as it was, it made a lot of money in theaters and via merchandising. I’m sure that’s why you’re keen on a sequel, albeit with a different director. Key to its success was the massively popular Harley Quinn, played to perfection by Margot Robbie; DC co-publisher Jim Lee had good reason to call her the brand’s “fourth pillar,” right behind Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. And what’s great about Task Force X is that this team-up film of sorts can exist independently from Justice League and the heroes it entailed.
In my honest opinion, the upcoming Suicide Squad 2 need only retain Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Will Smith’s Deadshot because they were the two that won over audiences most and, quite frankly, the rest weren’t given much to do. Who knows, that could change with the sequel, but I’d like to see a few team members get swapped out for newcomers like Killer Frost, Deathstroke and the Daniel West iteration of the Reverse-Flash.
From that, you’d be free to spinoff Harley into solo movies of her own and, as an avid reader of her comics, I’m saying it’s entirely possible. Simply looking to the wonderful books penned by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner will show you that she has a rich supporting cast, and can pretty much exist on film without having to intermingle with the DCEU at large. Just make sure that Poison Ivy stops by for a visit.
Before I get out of here, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say you should look to the trailer for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse for some inspiration. It’s deservedly garnering much attention on social media, and I firmly believe that you should bring a DC property to the big screen – namely Batman Beyond – in the form of a big budget animated extravaganza. If you do, I’ll be your friend.
In closing, I hope I’ve given anyone at the studio who took the time to read this much to think about. Also, I’d like to thank any curious readers who toughed out the entire letter and hope they enjoyed reading it. Again, there’s no longer any need to copy the Marvel Model; just make good solo movies and trust your filmmakers – and own up to your sins.
All the best,
Eric Joseph
