David Ayer’s Suicide Squad Cut Could Still Happen

Demand for the release of David Ayer’s original cut of Suicide Squad has not ceased despite the Zack Snyder-led DC Extended Universe being long gone. Since word came out that the critically panned theatrical version in 2016 was not what its director had initially filmed and compiled, Warner Bros has been under pressure to pacify fans’ hunger for the director’s cut. Although the trailer of Creature Commandos resurrected such voices due to the Max animated series’ similarities with the lore, there seems to be a consensus that Ayer’s vision, now referred to as the “Ayer cut,” is dead in the water.

After the successful campaign for the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League—another victim of studio interference—there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel for Suicide Squad. However, James Gunn’s highly praised soft reboot, The Suicide Squad, and the subsequent dissolution of the DCEU in place of a new DC Universe has dimmed any hopes. Still, precedence suggests that there’s still a viable, although slim, path to the realization of the director’s version. Creature Commandos and upcoming flicks such as Superman, if successful, could prove to be an unlikely ally to Ayer and his fans.

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Suicide Squad’s Troubled Production Still Hurts

Suicide Squad suffered the unlucky fate of being the first casualty of shifting preferences of studio executives. In response to the polarizing reception of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice—aided by the underwhelming box office performance of the latter—Warner Bros executives decided to remodel the universe after the family-friendly approach of the more successful Marvel Cinematic Universe. This led to many of the original creative ideas in subsequent films like Suicide Squad being left on the cutting room floor in favor of a lighter tone. Scenes, character arcs and designs that were considered unpalatable with the new tone were secretly refurbished. Notable edits included changes to the villain Incubus’ design and adjustments to Jared Leto’s Joker. The latter proved to be one of fans’ biggest grievances as the Clown Prince of Crime’s status as a pop culture icon became subject to ridicule.

Despite earning a solid $746 million at the box office, Suicide Squad was disliked by critics and audiences alike because of shortcomings in storytelling and character development. According to Ayer, he has been—and remains—at the receiving end of the bad press that came with its release. Speaking to Variety, the filmmaker expressed the frustration of having his vision ripped from him. “I made a great movie. I made an amazing film. I’ll go on record. Anyone wants to dispute that: Come look me in the eye. To have something I put so much love and so much heart into get taken away, reengineered…you know that Eric Andre meme where he shoots the guy and says, ‘Why’d you do that?’ That’s been like ‘Suicide Squad.’ ‘Why’d you do that?’ I didn’t.”

The Ayer Cut Faces a Bleak Future

Zack Snyder’s Justice League’s release proved that studios can still bend to fans’ will and raised hopes on demands for the release of the original version of Suicide Squad. Sadly, this momentum and the vocal online campaign—which birthed hashtags like #Releasetheayercut—were not enough to secure a release. Worse, the better-reviewed James Gunn’s quasi-remake, The Suicide Squad, and the discontinuation of the Snyderverse have all but made Ayer’s version irrelevant. Alleged positive remarks by Gunn, now the co-creative head of the newly established DC Universe, seemed to keep the little hope left alive, but it did not go very far. Now, even Ayer seems to have come to terms with his movie never getting the justice it deserves.

Warner Bros’ reluctance to release the Ayer cut may be backed by solid concerns. The superior quality of the four-hour Zack Snyder’s Justice League over the theatrical Justice League and the realization that the former’s original release could have saved the fate of the now-defunct DCEU made the studio, which was still reeling from the consequences of tampering with filmmakers’ creative freedom, a subject of mockery. Thus, releasing the director’s cut to an underwhelming movie, considered superior to the latter by the few who have watched it, would not only invite renewed scrutiny of other past mistakes but could potentially be injurious to the yet unreleased movies of the DCU. Besides, what’s to stop fans from returning for more and demanding a release of the scrapped Batgirl movie?

Creature Commandos and Superman Could Be the Key to the Ayer Cut

While unlikely, if there’s to be salvation for David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, it lies with Creature Commandos—the first outing under the DC Universe banner—and subsequent movies such as Superman. The DCU, being new, is untested in the battlegrounds of post-pandemic cinema and the looming danger of the so-called “superhero fatigue.” The outstanding success of its first small-screen and big-screen outings would firmly re-establish faith in DC and Gunn’s vision of a shared universe. More importantly, it could allay fears of actions like releasing the Ayer cut putting the new universe in unfavorable discussions. A release of the Ayer Cut would also signal Warner Bros’ dedication to doing away with the controversy of their failed universe and wipe the slate. And unlike Zack Snyder’s Justice League which needed $70 million to polish, Ayer’s cut apparently only needs a VFX touch or two to make it a finished product. Although there is a good chance that the Ayer cut may not be as good as it’s touted to be, to see the embattled filmmaker finally obtain justice would likely be satisfactory enough for many.

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