Yesterday, Deadline sent shockwaves through the internet when it was reported that James Gunn will be scripting and possibly directing the planned Suicide Squad 2. While we’ve yet to hear back about that second part, Warner Bros. have now offered their confirmation that the Guardians of the Galaxy helmsman is indeed “writing the next installment in the Suicide Squad franchise.”
Though it’s nice to now know for sure, we’re still left with a lot of questions about this. For one thing, Warner’s statement to Polygon didn’t specify if the movie will be a direct sequel to 2016’s critically panned but commercially successful Suicide Squad. This idea was suggested in another of yesterday’s reports, which also hinted at the possibility of a total recasting.
Speaking of casting, the tense history between Gunn and Jared Leto has led some to speculate that the former’s involvement in the DCEU could provoke the latter to step down from his role as the Joker. This would likely mark a major change in the planned course for the saga, given Leto’s plans for future outings as the Clown Prince of Crime, but it’s pretty evident that this franchise is currently going through a period of transition and potential recasts, so we certainly can’t rule out this possibility.
One talent who already seems to have been lost to the old ways of DC is Suicide Squad director David Ayer, who may not have the nicest things to say about his experience with the project but seems to have given Gunn his blessing regardless.
While it could be a long wait until Suicide Squad 2 makes its way to cinemas, expectations for the feature have escalated significantly in these last 24 hours as we anticipate further news. And as soon as that arrives, we’ll be sure to let you know.
