After the news that exiled Disney director James Gunn is in talks to move over to DC, it’s now been confirmed that Gunn will definitely be at least writing Suicide Squad 2 – and that he’s working on a “completely fresh take” on the franchise.
Announcing the news via the DC Daily web series, Warner Bros. confirmed that Gunn has switched teams.
“It’s official that we have got a new member of the DC family,” they announced. “Acclaimed writer/director James Gunn has been attached to write Suicide Squad 2. Gunn is poised to bring a completely fresh take to the franchise after the first film was written and directed by David Ayer.”
Since the news was giddily read out in a video, instead of being carefully worded in a press statement, there’s a chance here that Gunn’s “completely fresh take” is just a bit of spin. On the other hand, Warner Bros. are more aware than anyone about how careful they need to be with this announcement, since all industry eyes have been on Gunn-gate since it started months ago. It’s also very unlikely that a writer (and most likely director) like Gunn would be lured over to DC without the promise of being able to put his own stamp on things, so everything seems to be pointing at a complete reboot for Suicide Squad.
The first movie did well at the box-office, but it took a bit of a critical beating – adding to the mounting problems the DCEU is facing with the potential loss of both Batman and Superman. With so many Joker movies already in the works, including at least one that seems to be taking place in a completely different universe, it certainly seems that Warner Bros. are scrambling for a way to make something stick in the DCEU soon. With so much invested in the Joker (and Harley Quinn), a completely new Suicide Squad cast seems pretty unlikely at this point – especially since Margot Robbie’s Birds Of Prey is already in pre-production, not to mention that bonkers sounding Joker/Quinn movie.
On the other hand, bringing in Gunn to make a sequel starring all the same people in all the same roles won’t feel like much of a “completely fresh take”. Keeping some (Robbie? Will Smith?) and losing others will feel weird. Keeping everyone and re-writing their characters will feel weirder. Wouldn’t it have been easier to have Gunn write and direct something else in the DCEU?
More as we get it.