Suicide Squad wasreleased six years ago. David Ayer’s take on the DC Comics’ task force of supervillains was met with negative reception, making the film a critical failure. However, despite the film’s story ending, the film remains highly relevant. This is primarily due to director David Ayer’s claims that the studio hampered his version of the movie due toBatman v Superman’spoor reviews.
And then, ever since Zack Snyder got his way with his version ofJustice League, theSnyder Cut, the discussion around the original version ofSuicide Squadgained more traction on social media. Iteven triggered a campaignagainst the studio to release the “Ayer Cut.” Now, once again, David Ayer has spoken up about his dearest project on Twitter via responding to a few tweets.
A fan asked how different Ayer’s film is from the theatrical cut on Twitter. The question was addressed to an account dedicated to Ayer Cut, @RTAyerCutSS, while Ayer was tagged in the post. Surprisingly, the director responded to the question with a subtle statement, comparing the two cuts. He said,
Shockingly different. Apples and oranges.
On the same account, Ayer also responded to a question concerning the number of reshoots the film will require, even if he’s given the budget. Ayer was quick to confirm that his movie doesn’t need any rework.
No need for reshoots. Just some VFX work.
According to previous reports, Ayer had included Steppenwolf as the original villain in the film before the Warner Bros. execs force changed the script, thus, revitalizing the entire project. It turns out the director has even shot sequences featuring Steppenwolf. Earlier, whenZack Snyder’s Justice Leaguegot a greenlight, Snyder convinced the studio to spend on reshoots and shot five minutes of additional footage and extensive VFX work to make it whole. Turns out, theSuicide Squad’s “Ayer Cut” isfar more completethan Snyder’sJustice Leagueever came close to.
However, Snyder also had a lot of input onSuicide Squad, which essentially was in direct continuation ofBatman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film featured Ben Affleck and Ezra Miller reprising their roles as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Barry Allen/The Flash. Interestingly, it was Zack who shot Miller’s cameo for the film, with Jai Courtney’s Boomerang made in the scene later on via VFX work. Confirming this, Ayer tweeted,
His team shot the Ezra plate. I shot Jai in the bank location. Viola movie magic.
The calls for Ayer Cut are increasing, but the campaign has not gained the same traction as #ReleaseTheSnyderCut. It was only after the Snyder Cut that Ayer boosted the campaign for his version ofSuicide Squadmaking a release. Still, for now, despite being almost ready to go straight to the viewers,its future looks in vain.
Related:Suicide Squad Director Keeps Ayer Cut Hope Alive: I Made an Amazing Movie
Can Ayer Cut Get A Release?
The reason Snyder Cut got greenlit at Warner Bros. was the constantly growing demands for it. Fans had created a massive market for the film before Warner Bros. even considered it. When stars of theJustice Leaguejoined in, the studio saw it as the perfect opportunity to promote HBO Max. However, that hasn’t been the case forSuicide Squad. The demands to get the Ayer Cut greenlit haven’t been continuous, and the campaign has lost and gained traction on social media. Ayer himself outgrew the negative comments his film continued to receive, to whichhe responded with an official statement, declaring he won’t speak on the matter anymore.
In 2021, the sequelThe Suicide Squad, directed by James Gunn, was released in theaters and on HBO Max. Indeed, the film was a vast improvement from the previous movie and was a great hit. Ayer, however, has maintainedthat the theatricalSuicide Squadisn’t ‘his’ film. Given the sequel’s success, which was way different in terms of tone, setting, character designs, and story, it’s unlikely for Ayer’s cut to get a streaming release anytime soon.
It’s known that Warner Bros. did make extensive changes toSuicide Squadand its plans for the DC Extended Universe. The idea of alternate changes to the film’s script and forcing humorinto a relatively dark and intense thememade it worse and resulted in a significant failure. Maybe, the studio isn’t interested in it, but there’s a solid reason to view what Ayer really created.
