James Gunn has announced that his upcoming movieThe Suicide Squadwill release in theaters, and will be the definitive version of the feature. The statement came as a response to a fan who asked the filmmaker on Instagram whether fans should expect a #JamesGunncut of the movie somewhere down the line, to which Gunn replied.
“EveryJames Gunncut has been released into theaters. The Suicide Squad will be no different.”
David Ayer fansmight read a dig at the filmmaker in Gunn’s reply. Ayer, who directed the originalSuicide Squadback in 2016, has been very vocal recently on social media decrying Warner Bros. for interfering heavily in the creation of the film, from cutting out important scenes to changing the very tone of the feature to turn it into a comedy.
For the past couple of months, Ayer and hisfans have been campaigning on social mediato release the #Ayercut ofSuicide Squad, in a similar fashion toZack Snyder’s Justice Leaguecoming to HBO Max next year. While Gunn has in the past written that he supports the release of the #Ayercut, his latest statement makes it clear that there won’t be any need for a future #Gunncut because the version ofThe Suicide Squadthat viewers will watch in theaters will be the version the filmmaker originally set out to make.
This means that Gunn has had much less interference from the studio while making his filmthan Ayer did in 2016. It may be a result of Gunn’s hallowed reputation in comic book movie circles as the creator of theGuardians of the Galaxyfranchise. Another reason could be that the success ofJoker,Shazam,Aquaman, andWonder Womanhas finally convinced Warner Bros. to leave their directors alone to pursue their singular vision for a film.
Another interesting part of Gunn’s message is his firm belief thatThe Suicide Squadwill release in theaters. Currently, every single superhero movie that was supposed to release in theaters this year has been pushed back further and further, with rumors swirling that studios are being forced to consider the possibility of a straight-to-streaming release for the movies in the face of audiences that are extremely reluctant to return to theaters.
The movie’s original release date is set for August of next year, which might seem like plenty of time for theaters to reopen and business to go back to normal forThe Suicide Squadto release on time. And yet, there is the very real possibility that the losses incurred by theater chains due to a disastrous 2020 would affect their next year’s performance as well, if not collapse the business of cinema halls altogether, as has already happened with several minor theater chains the world over.
Amidst such a gloomy scenario, Gunn’s optimism will be a source of comfort for fans who want nothing more than to see their favorite group of villains-turned-anti-heroes kicking ass on the big screen.
