It’s official: The Suicide Squad is getting a fresh lick of neon paint.
With former MCU director James Gunn in the driving seat and a summer 2021 release date in place, Task Force X is about to be shipped off on a brand new assignment – presumably with a different ensemble cast in tow. That raises serious question marks over the involvement of Will Smith (Deadshot) and/or Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), as we know that the latter A-lister has her hands full with DC’s Birds of Prey spinoff.
Still, in James Gunn we trust. Or should that be Zack Snyder? According to The Hollywood Reporter, the erstwhile Justice League director holds a producing credit on Suicide Squad 2 (official title: The Suicide Squad), as does his wife and long-time creative partner, Deborah Snyder.
Sources say that Gunn’s focus is to take the franchise in a new direction with a mostly all-new cast of characters and actors. Sources also say that the project is also very much rooted in Gunn’s vibe, as seen in the Guardians movies. Charles Roven and Peter Safran will produce the feature. Zack Snyder and Deborah Snyder are acting as executive producers.
You’ll no doubt remember that Snyder held a producing credit on the original Suicide Squad when it released in 2016, while the likes of Aquaman and Wonder Woman have all benefited from the director’s expertise. Frankly, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Snyders are once again involved in a DC movie, given their vast experience in Warner’s sandbox.
But the question remains: Can the James Gunn-directed relaunch breath new life into The Suicide Squad and essentially create the DC equivalent of Guardians of the Galaxy? We’ll find out for sure once the film arrives on August 6th, 2021.