The DCEU is behind us, but information about the previous shared universe is still trickling out. Fans are looking forward to co-CEO James Gunn's plans for the new DCU, starting with Gods and Monsters, although there is still some discourse about previous projects like David Ayer's Suicide Squad. And while the director explained how Batman and Deadshot's scene was supposed to go, I'm still not convinced.

Moviegoers who spent years watching the DC movies in order will recall the fan excitement about Batman appearing in Suicide Squad (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription). He had two brief scenes, arresting Harley Quinn and Deadshot prior to the movie's main storyline. But the latter scene was originally longer, and Ayer took to Twitter to reveal his original plans. In the filmmaker's words:

For years now David Ayer cited studio interference messing up his original vision for Suicide Squad. He even went so far as to say Joker and Harley's story was eviscerated. And it sounds like he wanted way more screen time shared between Batman and Will Smith's Deadshot.

After the Zack Snyder's Justice League was green lit and completed, some fans called for Suicide Squad to get the Ayer Cut, therefore allowing the filmmaker's vision to finally be realized. Unfortunately, there's been no indication of this happening. Later in the same tweet, the Training Day director went on to share what he wanted to accomplish with Batman and Deadshot's scene, offering:

While I respect Ayer's vision, I'm not sure I would have liked to see this sequence work out in such a matter. Ben Affleck brought a jaded and murderous Bruce Wayne to the screen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but the character was changed by that experience and was a more hopeful hero in future DC movies. That includes saving Harley Quinn from drowning before her arrest, as well as the events of both Justice League movies.

The moral question posed by Ayer is interesting, but I think it would have taken away from the redemption arc that was started for Batfleck post-Dawn of Justice. Instead, I think this type of scene would work better in a project like The Batman, which is focused on Bruce Wayne and the darker side of being Gotham's Protector.

Suicide Squad is streaming on HBO Max now, and the next DCU movie hitting theaters is Supergirl on June 26th as part of the 2026 movie release list.

Last year Jason Statham and David Ayer teamed up for The Beekeeper — a movie that was dubbed “torturous” by critics , but was actually a pretty fun experience, especially if bee puns are your thing. While fans are likely excited that The Beekeeper 2 is happening, the even-better news is that we don’t have to wait that long to see Statham and Ayer’s next project. In fact, A Working Man is hitting the 2025 movie calendar soon, so let’s see what critics think about this one.

This upcoming action film has a familiar premise: Ex-Royal Marines commander Levon Cade (Statham) is forced to dip back into his old ways when his boss’ teenage daughter is taken by human traffickers. It sounds like the film could hit the same notes as Statham’s 2024 offering, but in CinemaBlend’s review of A Working Man, Eric Eisenberg says it fails to capture that same fun energy. He gives it 2 out of 5 stars, writing:

Derek Smith of SlashFilm gives the movie 1.5 out of 5 stars, saying Jason Statham’s protagonist is dead behind the eyes, with his untreated PTSD serving more as a superpower to assist his vigilantism than lingering psychological anguish. Smith also says:

Brianna Zigler of AV Club gives A Working Man a D, calling it “a largely tiresome action flick that can’t overcome the pedestrian trappings of its filmmakers’ own banality.” Zigler writes:

Jeremy Mathai of SlashFilm acknowledges that there is definitely room for empty calorie entertainment in our movie theaters, but while we are craving the silliness that Ayer and Statham’s previous outing provided, A Working Man is merely a pale imitation of better movies we've seen before. Mathai gives it 5 out 10 and says:

For Bill Bria of Discussing Film, however, A Working Man is a solid product, thanks to Jason Statham and David Ayer proving yet again that together they’re a formula for great action cinema. Bria rates the movie 3.5 out of 5 stars and says:

It sounds like if you’re headed to the theater hoping for more of the B-movie fun (no pun intended) of The Beekeeper, you might be disappointed at A Working Man’s more serious tone. But if it’s Jason Statham kicking ass you’re going for, I think we know that he can deliver. Catch his latest film in theaters starting Friday, March 28.

With the DC Universe franchise having launched a few months back with Creature Commandos and set to deliver its first theatrical movie in the form of James Gunn’s Superman this summer, it’s easy to forget that less than a decade ago, the DCEU was also in its relative infancy. Following Man of Steel’s 2013 release, 2016 delivered Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. However, much like Justice League in 2017, the theatrical version of Suicide Squad did not represent director David Ayer’s true vision, and he’s been pushing for the release of the “Ayer Cut” ever since. However, he’s also now acknowledged that Gunn’s reasoning for holding off on doing so makes sense.

While discussing A Working Man, his contribution to the 2025 movies schedule that opens in theaters this weekend, Ayer was asked by THR if it’s “all still quiet” from Warner Bros. Discovery regarding possibility of Suicide Squad’s Ayer Cut seeing the light of day. The filmmaker confirmed that is indeed still the case, saying:

In addition to his writing and/or directorial duties on Superman, Creature Commandos (which is coming back for a second season) and Peacemaker Season 2, which hits the 2025 TV schedule this August, James Gunn is also co-running DC Studios with Peter Safran. So he’ll be the one to make the call if the Ayer Cut is ever released, and to be fair, it sounds like he’s amenable to the idea rather than just shooting it down. It’s certainly a more optimistic position compared to when David Ayer said in January 2024 that he was done fighting for his original version of Suicide Squad.

All that being said, like David Ayer, I understand where James Gunn is coming from. The DC Universe has only just begun, and it needs time to find its full footing with the various upcoming DC movies and upcoming DC TV shows officially slated. Ayer continued:

This reminds me of how it’s been 30 years since Batman Forever came out, and there’s still interest in the “Schumacher Cut” of Val Kilmer’s lone outing in the cape and cowl. Alas, no progress as been made on making that release happen, and it remains to be seen if the Ayer Cut will fare any better. Still, considering that Zack Snyder’s Justice League was eventually made available to stream with a Max subscription and released on home media, I maintain that the Suicide Squad David Ayer originally made for theatrical consumption should be afforded the same opportunity.

So maybe as we move further away from the shelving of the DCEU, releasing the Ayer Cut can provide that nostalgia that the director mentioned. Until then, it sounds like Ayer is looking forward to what the DCU has coming up, which also includes movies like Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Clayface, and shows like Lanterns and Paradise Lost.

Almost a decade ago, Suicide Squad, the third of the DC movies in order from the DC Extended Universe era, was released, though as we’ve learned in the years since, the final product differed heavily from director David Ayer’s original vision. Nevertheless, in the midst of having campaigned for the “Ayer Cut” to be released (though he’s no longer fighting for this to happen), the filmmaker has also been supportive of other DC media endeavors, like James Gunn’s Superman reboot, which is one of the biggest summer tentpole releases on the 2025 movies schedule. Unfortunately for Ayer, he was hit with backlash for supporting that upcoming DC movie, and it was bad enough that he responded online.

Apparently this stemmed from a case of unfortunate timing when David Ayer booster another “Release the Ayer Cut” campaign that happened to coincide with the release of Creature Commandos, the first DC Universe project, on the 2024 TV schedule. With the first Superman trailer about to arrive, Ayer went on X (formerly known as Twitter) to share his wish that there be no campaigning when the highly-anticipated preview premieres, saying:

Now you’d think that’d be a reasonable enough request, right? As much as David Ayer appreciates people still championing for his version of Suicide Squad to be released, just like what was done with Zack Snyder’s Justice League, he also wants to help give the Superman trailer a platform to shine and be the main DC talking point for Thursday. Well, evidently enough people took issue with him expressing this desire, which resulted in him saying the following in another X post:

While there are plenty of fans who would like for the DCEU to be revived, the fact of the matter is that’s no longer in the cards. It’s certainly a shame for Henry Cavill’s Superman, who was going to make more appearances following his Black Adam cameo, but now we’re in the DC Universe era, with David Corenswet playing the Man of Steel in this continuity. David Ayer is looking forward to seeing the Superman trailer like many others are, as the title Kryptonian meant a lot to him growing up. There shouldn’t be an issue with him sharing such enthusiasm even if Superman is part of a different DC franchise. Let Ayer support James Gunn’s next DC movie and the fans who would like to see his cut of Suicide Squad to come out.

Superman flies into theaters on July 11, 2025, and while Creature Commandos technically kicked off the DCU, Gunn and fellow DC Studios head Peter Safran have said they consider the movie to be the “true beginning” of this universe. David Ayer’s latest movie, The Beekeeper, can be streamed with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Movies are a complicated business, and not all of them ever make it to the screen in quite the way they were designed. There have been so many questions over the years regarding David Ayer’s Suicide Squad and what that movie was supposed to be, and yet with every new piece of information, we seem to get more questions than answers.

While few people have ever been willing to talk about just what happened behind the scenes of Suicide Squad, one of the things that we really thought we knew was that the big reason that the movie went through such significant re-editing was test audiences simply didn’t like Ayer’s original concept. However, in a (now deleted) tweet, Ayer claims that is actually incorrect, as no test audience ever saw his cut. The director said…

This info does fall in line with some of what we had heard about Suicide Squad. Specifically, the idea that the version of the film that was recut following the release of the “Bohemian Rhapsody” trailer, which was very well recieved and was significantly different from whatever Ayer had originally produced.

Suicide Squad had followed the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which both critics and numerous moviegoers found too dark. Whether WB was looking for a more "fun" movie from the start or only after the Dawn of Justice returns, is unclear. However, it seems that Ayer's version was never even allowed to stand on its own before it was reconfigured into the film that we got.

Apparently Warner Bros. always wanted something lighter in tone, and when Ayer presented something that wasn’t, that’s when, in his words, “madness ensued.” That part at least sounds right. Suicide Squad would see some combination of significant reshoots and equally significant re-editing into a movie that, to be fair, audiences did go to see in droves. The movie was lambasted by critics, but was a smash hit at the box office.

In much the same vein as the “Release the Snyder Cut Movement” which saw fans campaign to see Zack Snyder’s original vision of Justice League and was successful, in that we did eventually get Zack Snyder’s Justice League, fans have wanted to see the “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad, if only to see what that movie originally was. While the campaign has never truly died, it’s also never reached quite the heights of the Snyder Cut movement, so such a release seems unlikely.

But honestly, now I’m more interested in the Ayer Cut than ever before. If nobody has ever actually seen it (beyond, we assume, studio execs) then maybe the original concept would be something audiences would love. They’ve apparently never had the chance to find out.

It is common knowledge, especially among fans who keep up with upcoming DC movies, that Suicide Squad underwent significant changes before hitting theaters in August of 2016. Following the mixed reception of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice earlier that same year, Warner Bros. decided to rework director David Ayer's darker, grittier cut, which the filmmaker claims is the best comic book movie ever made. The studio's overhaul included the addition of colorful graphics, catchy pop songs, and a more upbeat ending, dramatically altering the film's original tone and narrative.

This drastic transformation disappointed many fans and critics alike, sparking the #ReleaseTheAyerCut movement, which is gaining steam once again. But should the Ayer Cut be released?

Suicide Squad Star Scott Eastwood Calls For The Release Of The Ayer Cut

The debate over releasing the "Ayer Cut" is gaining traction again, fueled by recent comments from Scott Eastwood, one of Suicide Squad's stars. In a recent interview with Comicbookmovie.com, Eastwood, who portrayed Lieutenant GQ Edwards in the movie, expressed his support for releasing the Ayer Cut. The actor has a long working relationship with Ayer going back to their time making 2014's Fury, and he spoke about his admiration for the director’s vision and creative approach. Discussing Suicide Squad's Ayer cut, he told the outlet:

Scott Eastwood’s comments reflect the sentiments of many fans who feel that the theatrical version of Suicide Squad did not do justice to the complex characters and storylines that David Ayer had intended. The actor's comments reignite discussion about the alternate cut, even as the future of the DC Universe undergoes significant changes under James Gunn's direction – but is it something fans should be pushing for?

Could The Ayer Cut Of Suicide Squad Be Confusing Amid The Growth Of The DC Universe?

As James Gunn continues to shape his vision for the future of his upcoming superhero movies, drawing from his experience making The Suicide Squad for the DC Extended Universe, it's unclear if there’s room to revisit past projects like David Ayer's movie. While the movement to release the Ayer Cut has never reached the fever pitch of the Snyder Cut campaign, voices like Scott Eastwood's keep the hashtag #ReleaseTheAyerCut alive, hoping for another shot at showcasing Ayer's original vision.

But let's be honest: dropping the Ayer Cut now could muddy the waters even more for the DC brand, which has already been through a rollercoaster of changes since the Snyder Cut of Justice League and the end of the DC Extended Universe. Releasing Snyder's version of Justice League set a new standard for revisiting and altering past movies, but also layers of confusion to an already complicated timeline. Bringing out another alternate cut could make things even messier, potentially turning off new fans and making it harder for audiences to keep up with the current rebranding and launching of the first era of the DC Universe, titled Chapter One, “Gods and Monsters.”

As Gunn strives to bring clarity and a fresh direction to the DCU, another re-cut might derail those efforts, complicating the continuity and preventing the franchise from establishing a cohesive, unified identity.

We Should Embrace The New Era For The DC Universe 

I think it's time to fully embrace the new chapter that James Gunn is crafting for the DC Universe. This fresh direction is just what the franchise needs to move forward and leave behind the baggage of past controversies and missteps within the DC Extended Universe. With Gunn’s creative vision as the north star, the DCU has a unique opportunity to tell exciting new stories, introduce fresh faces, and reinvent the characters we’ve come to love.

While the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad may have its appeal with its dark and gritty style, it's not a vision that is designed to align with what James Gunn is setting up for the future. Maybe it's better for the Ayer Cut to remain in our imaginations; I'm more excited about what's on the horizon.

James Gunn's Superman, the first film in this new era of the DCU, is set to soar into theaters and land on the 2025 movie schedule on July 11, 2025.

Spoilers for The Beekeeper are ahead. If you haven’t seen Jason Statham’s buzzworthy project, you can catch it in theaters now. 

Sometimes, it’s important to ask questions that may seem dumb, because most of the time they aren’t. Case and point: When I saw The Beekeeper I was left wondering if all the agents who call themselves Beekeepers also actually keep bees, like Jason Statham’s character does in the film. It turns out, the director, David Ayer, has an answer to this seemingly silly question, and it provides fantastic insight into the people who make up this elite agency and how it relates to the actual profession of beekeeping. 

For some context, in this action flick on the 2024 movie schedule, Jason Statham’s character Adam Clay is both a legitimate beekeeper, who takes care of bees on a lovely lady’s land, as well as a retired secret agent who worked for a group called The Beekeepers. So, when I got the chance to speak with The Beekeeper’s director David Ayer about the film, I had to ask if it was common for these agents to take up beekeeping as a second interest. Let me tell you, his answer did not disappoint as he told me this during our interview for CinemaBlend:

As critics of The Beekeeper pointed out, in both positive and negative lights, this film leans into the bees. There are many comparisons to them and hives, especially when it comes to Jason Statham’s character, who is referred to as a “queen slayer” at one point, which yes, is a real kind of bee, and he works tirelessly to protect the hive (by hive I mean humanity) from evil. So, it seems logical that in the universe of the movie, the agents of this covert group would actually keep bees and learn from them.

Jason Statham obviously did, as he took down the queen – who in this film was an evil tech mogul played by Josh Hutcherson. So, as Ayer explained, it made sense for beekeepers to literally keep bees because they could learn valuable lessons from them.

Also, considering the nature of their day job, I’d imagine that literal beekeeping would provide these agents with an outlet that lets them move a bit slower and live in a less intense environment. However, there are still stakes because the keepers need to keep the hive alive and protect it…and, you know, they can still get stung.

In all seriousness, this idea of these agents also being beekeepers plays into the greater mission of the agency Statham is a part of. As the Fury director noted, both kinds of beekeepers are out to keep their world safe, and they step in and help fix the hive when they aren’t capable of repairing it themselves. So, it makes sense that all beekeepers also keep bees. 

Overall, this idea that Statham’s character plays both kinds of beekeepers is super fun, and now knowing that all these agents also keep bees makes me even more interested in this bee-filled world. 

If you want to learn more about this buzzworthy flick from David Ayer, be sure to check out our coverage of the movie, which includes Josh Hutcherson explaining why he went blonde for it. And to see this unique project in Jason Statham’s catalog of epic action films, that features him both as a lethal beekeeper agent and a man who keeps actual bees, you can catch The Beekeeper in theaters now. 

Jason Statham’s career has provided us with some of the best action movies of our day, including his roles in The Expendables and The Fast and Furious franchises. For his next offering, Statham has teamed up with director David Ayer for the new action-thriller The Beekeeper, which will see his character Adam Clay set out to get revenge on a phishing company responsible for his friend’s death. The buzzworthy thriller was first announced in 2021, and now it’s set to hit the big screen on January 12. Let’s see what critics are saying about it.

Alongside Jason Statham, The Beekeeper’s cast includes some big names, including Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Jeremy Irons, Minnie Driver and Phylicia Rashad. So what do critics think? Let’s start with CinemaBlend’s review of The Beekeeper, which our own Eric Eisenberg rates 2.5 stars out of 5. He says there’s plenty of room in the cinematic landscape for stupid-but-fun movies with preposterous premises and silly dialogue, but bad choices hold this one back from reaching the “good bad” film it should be. He continues: 

David Rooney of THR agrees with the above assessment, noting that The Beekeeper could have been a lot of fun with a director more willing to tap into the inherent humor of Clay’s almost superhuman bad-assery. Rooney writes:

Mae Abdulbaki of ScreenRant rates it 3 stars out of 5, saying Jason Statham brings an unhinged quality to Clay that helps the critic to forgive the “extremely thin” story that would never work if it tried to take itself too seriously. Abdulbaki says: 

John Nugent of Empire calls The Beekeeper “absolute bee-movie trash,” saying not even Jason Statham can elevate the bad dialogue and sloppy action sequences. Nugent gives the movie 2 out of 5 stars, writing: 

Cameron Frew of Dexerto rates it 3 out of 5 stars, saying The Beekeeper doesn’t skimp on the violence and eventually becomes a fairly watchable action flick, albeit a “shamelessly, giddily batshit bonkers” one. For instance, the critic says: 

It sounds like if you’re down for corny, pun-filled dialogue and action that doesn’t let reality stand in its way, this might be a good option — though a couple of critics warn that David Ayer’s film could have embraced those qualities in a more fun way. If you want to check out The Beekeeper, you can do so starting Friday, January 12, and be sure to also take a peek at our 2024 movie calendar to start planning your next trip to the theater. 

There is room in the cinematic landscape for movies that are stupid-but-fun. So long as there are good intentions and serious efforts behind the scenes, there is nothing necessarily wrong with ridiculous premises, preposterous plotting and silly dialogue (particularly if there is a notable level of self-awareness involved). These kinds of big screen adventures are part of every genre, and while they often get slapped with the derogatory label of being “guilty pleasures,” there shouldn’t be any guilt in appreciating the number one goal of any film: it’s entertainment.

David Ayer’s The Beekeeper has all of the ingredients to be a work of this familiar ilk. Even putting aside that Jason Statham is an experienced veteran when it comes to this kind of action movie material, this is a feature that proposes the idea of an apiarist-themed government assassin going on a revenge mission against a scammer conglomerate with call centers that look like neon-lit game show sets. With the R-rating it sports, the door is wide open for foul language, gratuitous blood-letting, drug use and more. It all suggests a brutal ride for audiences to absorb with goofy grins.

The good news is that The Beekeeper is exactly as stupid as it should be, but the bad news is that the fun is undercut by a heavy current of grimness that leaves a taste that’s hard to wash out of your mouth.

In this world created by screenwriter Kurt Wimmer, the United States secretly designates a single highly trained assassin as The Beekeeper, whose job it is to “protect the hive” at any cost (and if you forget this directive, don’t worry, as the film reminds you of it at least a dozen times). The movie introduces Jason Statham’s Adam Clay after he has retired from the position, but he’s still regarded as a beekeeper because he… keeps bees. He rents space for a honey farm on the property of a woman (Phylicia Rashad) whom he identifies as the only person to ever take care of him, and he is enraged when she commits suicide after being tricked and left penniless by a phishing scam.

Deciding to un-retire, Clay goes on a classic roaring rampage that starts with targeting the specific criminals who conned his friend, but he swiftly follows that action by targeting the people who are really in charge. At the head of everything is a wretched nepotism-fed tech executive (Josh Hutcherson) and a former director of the CIA (Jeremy Irons), and they make every effort in their playbook to stop the protagonist, but Clay is determined in his mission and happens to unravel a massive government conspiracy along the way.

The Beekeeper is very dumb, but that mostly works for it.

The Beekeeper affords it a lot of goodwill when it comes to being observed with a critical eye, but let it also be put on the record that the film is egregiously sloppy. This is a movie where the deputy director of the FBI (Don Gilet) flies from Washington DC to Boston for what ends up amounting to a two-minute meeting with the field agents (Emmy Raver-Lampman, Bobby Naderi) on the hunt for Adam Clay, and then, just a short while later, they have a meeting with him via teleconference. Events unfold at a ludicrous pace, and incredibly little makes sense about the Beekeeper program in general.

There are moments in The Beekeeper that unintentionally inspire laughs (clanking dialogue and bizarre edits, mostly), but there are also a number that do it purposefully, and that’s when the film is operating at its best. While the plotting bends over backwards to keep details of the story bee-themed, it also executes healthy doses of “over the top” – like Clay strapping a guy to his pickup and launching it over a bridge, or the activation of the active Beekeeper assassin (Megan Le), who rolls around in a truck with a M134 Minigun and wears a fluorescent pink duster. One flaw of the film is that it actually doesn’t have enough of the current Beekeeper (the same goes for Taylor James as a mercenary named Lazarus, who unfortunately doesn’t show up until the third act) – but there is a larger issue with stakes and attitude, and you don’t have to look beyond the impetus of the plot to see it.

Clashing with the dumbness is an edginess in The Beekeeper that feels unnecessary.

At the start of the film, Phylicia Rashad’s Eloise not only sees scammers drain her personal bank account, but they also steal $2 million from a children’s charity she manages. For moviegoers who are hungry for blood-spattered cinematic vengeance, this is a despicable act plenty worthy of Adam Clay coming out of retirement… but the movie can’t just leave it there. Not only does Eloise commit suicide, but David Ayer makes the choice to show us her still body on a chair with bullet hole in her temple.

It’s darkness that splashes some cold water on the film that The Beekeeper is otherwise trying to be, and it’s not the sole example featured in the runtime. They’re sharp edges that the story doesn’t need, and the seriousness they bring to the proceedings is unwelcome.

The lower expectations you have for The Beekeeper, the better.

As an action movie released to theaters in the month of January, The Beekeeper naturally invites low expectations, and it makes good use of them. There is fleeting fun to be had in its runtime, but the experience overall is muddled by bad choices and instincts that hold it back and never fully let it be the “good bad” film that it should be.

Since its inception with Man of Steel, the DCEU had a wild ride in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. 2016's Suicide Squad was definitely in the latter category, although it would have an impact on a number of upcoming DC movies that came after. Filmmaker David Ayer has been open about how the studio interfered with his vision, even saying Harley Quinn's story was eviscerated. Ayer recently claimed his version of the DC movie is one of the "best comic book movies ever made", so give him the Ayer Cut already.

After Warner Bros. gave Zack Snyder millions to complete his version of Justice League, some fans immediately began campaigning for the same thing to happen for Suicide Squad, complete with the hashtag #ReleaseTheAyerCut. It doesn't seem like that's going to happen, especially with a new shared universe being formed. But Ayer spoke to THR, revealing the response he's gotten from folks who saw his originaln take on Suicide Squad. As he put it:

Talk about some big claims. Many of us moviegoers have spent years watching the DC movies in order, and would no doubt love to watch the Ayer Cut and weigh in about the movie's quality. But alas, only the OG version and James Gunn's R-Rated sequel are available with a Max subscription.

I can only imagine how much extra content would be in the Ayer Cut that folks didn't see when watching Suicide Squad in theaters back in 2016. The role of Jared Leto's Joker was reportedly the biggest victim of this, which the filmmaker often laments. Later in that same interview, Ayer went on to speak about how folks have received his cut of the DC flick, offering:

Well, I've got some serious FOMO right now. While Ayer has been open about his disappointment surrounding Suicide Squad for years now, hearing that it was apparently such a great film makes me want to see it even more. But with new the new DC Universe forming with its first set of projects titled Gods and Monsters, going back to the old DCEU for the Ayer Cut seems unlikely.

While the theatrical cut failed to impress audiences it made money, inspired Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad, and even won an Oscar for make-up and hair. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like we'll be seeing the Ayer Cut anytime soon.

The next DC movie hitting theaters is Superman: Legacy on July 11th, 2025. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The old DCEU has reached its conclusion with the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. A few plot threads and possible sequels that were teased will never happen, but of all the unfinished business, the biggest piece that fans were hoping for has to be the “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad. While Zack Snyder was eventually able to produce something for Justice League he was happy to put his name on, that is looking less and less likely for Suicide Squad.

David Ayer revealed last week that he’s done putting effort into trying to see the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad released. Some of the reason for that may be that he’s tired of what happens when a new DC movie comes out, as Ayer recently told Variety that he feels “attacked” by people over things from that movie that he did not do. The director explained…

While a lot of specifics still aren’t known about exactly what was changed, we know that Suicide Squad went through a significant edit late in the process that drastically changed the movie, and made the final version something very different from the project David Ayer had made. While the version of Suicide Squad we got was a massive box office hit, it was torn apart by critics, leading many to wonder just what the original version would have been like. 

Ayer is more than willing to call his version of Suicide Squad a “great movie.” He thinks it was amazing and for years he has wanted people to see it. At one point it even seemed like the Ayer Cut was happening, as the director had apparently spoken with new DC Films co-head James Gunn, and it sounded like someday, if not someday soon, it might happen.

Recently, however, with David Ayer saying he’s giving up that fight, it seems like maybe it isn’t happening after all. Ayer still wants it, however. Even if the “Ayer Cut” is only shown to the people who made the director does think it would be right and fair for the people involved to see what they worked on. He continued…

David Ayer may be done fighting, but that doesn’t mean the “Ayer Cut” is dead. It’s unclear how much Zack Snyder actually did to make the Snyder Cut happen, and how much of it was pure fan support. If the fans keep fighting for it, maybe it can still happen. 

As DC Studios gears up to dawn a new era of superheroes movies starting with James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy, there’s been some looming unfinished business around 2016’s Suicide Squad. For years, writer/director David Ayer has teased tons of never-before-seen footage from the movie that could be seen for the first time in a director’s cut. However, Ayer’s latest update on the subject suggests the filmmaker is moving on from fighting for an extended version of the comic book movie. 

On Wednesday, David Ayer took to X to announce he is no longer putting his energy into a director’s cut of Suicide Squad. When a user asked the filmmaker directly, here’s what he had to say:  

Ayer is singing a much different tune than just last month, when the writer/director said he was “hopeful” that the director’s cut is “coming” while also calling out Warner Bros. for its “cowardliness” regarding allowing him to put out his initial version of the movie. Over the years, David Ayer has been candid about how his original vision for the 2016 movie was not realized, sharing back in 2020 that the theatrical version saw his ideas “ripped to pieces,” particularly in regards to the “soulful drama” he had intended to make instead of the final version’s more lighthearted approach.  

Over the years, David Ayer has called for support in regards to his “Ayer Cut” to get to see the light of day, especially following Zack Snyder’s four-hour cut of Justice League coming out back in 2021 after Snyder and fans fought for Warner Bros. to make it happen. Among what was left out of Suicide Squad was reportedly a lot more of Jared Leto’s Joker. Ayer previously detailed that his initial cut gave the iconic comic book character a story arc that “hangs powerfully over the entire film” rather than simply serving as “a prop,” as he suggested the theatrical version turned the character into.  

As David Ayer announced the current state of the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad, which is apparently officially dead in the water, he shared that he ultimately feels “healthier” to not hold on bringing it back to life anymore. It sounds like he feels he needs to let go of the disappointments regarding the 2016 movie in order to “heal” from the experience. 

Ayer’s work is part of upcoming 2024 movies with The Beekeeper, which is an action thriller starring Jason Statham, Josh Hutcherson and Jeremy Irons about the former operative of a clandestine organization that exacts revenge against the company responsible for the death of two people close to him. You can check out David Ayer’s latest movie in theaters on January 12. 

The film industry is a tricky one, and it’s constantly changing. The comic book genre continues to be a powerful force, although the DCEU as we know it is expected to end with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. That shared universe had some peaks and valleys, including the less-than-stellar release of 2016’s Suicide Squad. And director David Ayer recently reflected on the state of the film world as Ayer Cut chatter continues.

While there are a number of exciting upcoming DC movies heading to theaters, they unfortunately do not include a director’s cut of Suicide Squad. And with new co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran forming a new shared universe, it seems less likely than ever that the Ayer Cut might come to fruition. David Ayer recently tweeted a message about the film world as a whole, offering some criticism at both the industry and the consumer. As he put it,

He’s not wrong. It seems like folks online love to hate on certain movies, even celebrating misfortune that might come to them. What’s more, it seems that even the way films are produced can feel backwards to him. Considering his years in the industry, he’s got a strong perspective that should turn some heads.

While Ayer didn’t name drop any specific projects in his tweet about the industry, it’s not difficult to connect the dots to his work on the 2016 DC blockbuster. Suicide Squad’s cast list got audiences hyped, but the theatrical cut failed to resonate with audiences. Ayer has been honest about how the studio interfered with his vision, particularly the story between Joker and Harley Quinn. Later in his tweet about the film world, Ayer offered a hopeful ending to his thoughts, posting:

After Zack Snyder was given millions to finish his version of Justice League, some DC fans immediately pivoted their focus to a campaign for David Ayer’s Suicide Squad to get the same treatment. But the studio has given no indication that they’re going to make this happen. And with Gunn and Safran crafting a new DCU starting with Gods and Monsters, it’s even more unlikely. 

Aquaman 2 is in theaters now, which is the final installment of the DCEU as we know it. Be sure to check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The DC Extended Universe has plenty of wild twists during its years on the big screen, including shakeups behind the scenes. That includes some projects that were influenced by the studio such as Justice League and Suicide Squad. The latter was helmed by the filmmaker David Ayer, who has been honest about his vision for the DC flick being altered. And the director recently explained how Jared Leto’s Joker was changed in the theatrical cut. 

In the years since the 2016 movie was released, some fans have been hoping an upcoming DC movie might be the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad. That titular filmmaker occasionally shows his interest, while lamenting about certain plot lines like the handling of Jared Leto’s Joker. Both fans and critics took umbrage with that villain, who seemed more of an afterthought in the theatrical cut. David Ayer tweeted out a response to fans asking about his version of the movie, sharing:

Honestly, sign me up. Jared Leto definitely has the acting chops to pull of the Clown Prince of Crime, but his part in Suicide Squad failed to resonate with audiencs and critics alike. And it seems to be one of Ayer’s biggest issues with the way the blockbuster was edited and ultimately released back in 2016.

The cast of Suicide Squad included some well-known names, including Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Viola Davis. Jared Leto had already won an Oscar at that point, and seemed to have the pedigree to bring Joker to life following iconic runs like Heath Ledger and Mark Hamill. But in the end he failed to meet expectations.

In the theatrical cut of Suicide Squad, Joker plays a strange role. Rather than being involved in the main story, he pops in and out seemingly at random while attempting to reunite with Harley Quinn. But that wasn’t always the case, and Ayer maintains he was a fully formed character in his version of the project.

After Zack Snyder’s Justice League became a reality by Warner Bros. fans immediately began campaigning for Suicide Squad to get the Ayer Cut. But it doesn’t sound like the studio has any plans to make this happen, especially with the budget that Ayer would likely need to complete his take on the project. And with a new shared universe being formed co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, this seems all the more unlikely. 

The final installment in the DCEU is Aquaman 2 on December 20th. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Just like with Justice League, the original version of Suicide Squad that was shot differed greatly from what was ultimately released in theaters. However, while Zack Snyder’s Justice League was eventually released to Max subscribers and on home media, the “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad still has yet to surface to the public. However, director David Ayer is still optimistic it will be released one day, sharing this continued hope in a new interview, where he also called out Warner Bros. Pictures for its “cowardliness” as it pertains to his original Suicide Squad.

Back in 2020, Ayer talked about how his Suicide Squad was “ripped to pieces,” with “the first 40 minutes” being left on the cutting room floor and the theatrical version’s being significantly different from what was originally envisioned. It’s now been seven years since Suicide Squad played on the big screen, and while Warner Bros. has given no indication that it will give this movie the same treatment it did with Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Ayer believes it his director’s cut will be released, telling Total Film:

While the rumors swirling about the Ayer Cut being being released back in August ended up being not true, the filmmaker believes it’s a matter of ‘when,’ not ‘if’ his ideal Suicide Squad is shared with the masses. As Ayer pointed out, there’s a lot of support for this original Suicide Squad vision, and he’s confident that once people see the movie, they’ll instantly understand why he’s been so passionate about it getting released. The director’s cut of Suicide Squad has reportedly been privately screened, but the man remains confident that there will come a day that everyone will have the chance to watch it.

As far as David Ayer’s blunt words directed at Warner Bros., it’s just the latest example of him not holding back with expressing his dissatisfaction with how the studio handled Suicide Squad. He previously explained that the reason the movie was overhauled was in response to Deadpool’s critical success and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, its DCEU predecessor, not being well received by critics. Ayer has also said it wouldn’t take much in order to finish his Suicide Squad cut, just some money for “VFX work.” Ayer is at least on good terms with DC Studios co-head James Gunn, but as far as Warner Bros. itself goes, he’s obviously still unhappy with the way the  studio handled his entry in the superhero movies canon.

We’ll just have to wait and see if David Ayer ends up being correct or not, but for now, his newest movie, The Beekeeper, hits theaters January 12 on the 2024 movies schedule. As far as upcoming DC movies go, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will close out the DCEU on December 20, and following Joker: Folie à Deux’s release on October 4, 2024, Superman: Legacy will help get the DC Universe Chapter One slate going on July 11, 2025.

While being involved in Hollywood is a dream for countless hopefuls, the reality of the business is something else entirely. I mean, just look at the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Filmmaker David Ayer has been open about the reality of the business, especially related to how his cut of Suicide Squad was ‘eviscerated’ by the studio. And Ayer is also not happy with what happened with the Fast and the Furious after he worked on the movie, even being quoted saying “fuck the middleman.” Let’s break down his comments.

The first Fast and the Furious movie hit theaters back in 2001, and David Ayer was one of the three writers credited for the screenplay. What started as a street racing film grew into one of the biggest action franchises in the business, with the Fast crew even going to space. The Sucide Squad filmmaker helped to create the property, and recently appeared on Jon Bernthal’s Real Ones podcast (via Deadline), where he didn’t hold back his feelings about Fast and Furious. As he put it,

Well, that was honest. Despite the billions of dollars that the Fast movies have made over the last two decades, the OG writer seemingly wasn’t entitled to any of those profits. This is a peek behind the curtain related to how the business works, and might be surprising for casual fans of the movies. Of course, that’s not all Ayer said about the situation.

Later in that same interview, David Ayer explained how his vision for The Fast and the Furious shaped the franchise as a whole (see the Fast timeline explained here). It sounds like his vision is what got so many of the iconic actors of the franchise involved, and why the story went from New York to L.A.. As he put it,

It’s fascinating to see how the sausage gets made. The Fast and Furious franchise is so clearly defined at this point, and it’s almost impossible to imagine the franchise starting in New York and featuring mostly Italian characters. It sounds like Vin Diesel and company have Ayer to thank for how the story and characters were ultimately handled. 

Also in that interview Davi Ayer spoke about the film industry as a whole, and feeling like an outsider within the business despite his resume. In his words:

If Ayer’s comments are to be believed, that’s why his name isn’t closely associated with the Fast and the Furious franchise, despite how much work he put into its inception. Indeed, he never returned to write and direct any of the sequels that have been produced over the last two decades. 

The Fast and the Furious franchise is expected to wrap up after the upcoming 11th movie in the series. Fast X will arrive on Peacock on September 15th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The DC Universe has had plenty of peaks and valleys over the years. One of the first movies to arrive outside of Zack Snyder's trilogy was David Ayer's 2016 blockbuster Suicide Squad. That movie failed to impress in theaters, although the DC flick did win an Oscar for makeup. Lots of stories came out about the cast's behavior on set, including the day that they all gave each other's tattoos. Here's why Ayer totally regrets his tattoo choice from that infamous Suicide Squad day. 

The first Suicide Squad movie filmed back in 2015, with a killer cast that included Margot Robbie, Will Smith, and Jared Leto. Stories about Leto's behavior went viral, including the wild gifts he would allegedly sent his co-stars. Then there's the day everyone got tattoos, forever memorializing a movie that didn't come out quite as planned.

The Story Of The Suicide Squad's Matching Tattoos

One fateful day on the set of Suicide Squad, Harley's tattoo parlor opened. The story quickly went viral, with David Ayer personally tweeting out photos of Margot Robbie with a tattoo gun. You can check out that image below, and see the Barbie actress in a far more grungy environment.

But Margot Robbie wasn't the only person who wielded the tattoo gun while on the set of Suicide Squad. Will Smith also got in on the fun, and tattooed "SKWAD" on the bicep of co-star Joel Kinnaman. While Smith was absent, Kinnaman would reprise his role as Rick Flag in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. He shared a now-deleted image on his Instagram, with the caption reading:

Smith wasn't alone in this. While she was in the zone of tattooing, Margot Robbie also screwed up someone's ink, misspelling "SKWAD" in the process. But hey, maybe it could be fixed by a professional? Captain Boomerang actor Jai Courtney also shared an in image of his own tattoo, which you can see below:

Given the high profile nature of Suicide Squad and popularity of the growing DC Universe, the cast likely thought that they were starting a burgeoning franchise and would be working together for years. But that didn't happen, with David Ayer claiming that the studio greatly changed the movie. Those tattoos, however, are still around for those brave enough to do that bonding on set. 

What David Ayer Thinks Of His Tattoo Now

David Ayer didn't get a "SKWAD" tattoo, but another word entirely when joining in on Suicide Squad's infamous day of ink. But it turns out that he regrets his choice, which was to put the word "damaged" on him. He recently tweeted out his thoughts, saying: 

Well, at least he's got a good attitude about it all. Despite Suicide Squad hitting theaters back in in 2016, David Ayer has spent years talking about his work on the DC movie, including the parts that didn't make it to theaters.

Following the announcement that the Snyder Cut was officially happening at Warner Bros. some fans immediately began campaigning for Suicide Squad to get the same treatment aka the Ayer Cut. For his part, David Ayer has released BTS images that have kept that conversation happening.

Suicide Squad is currently streaming with a Max subscription. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

After 2016’s Suicide Squad was much reviled by fans and critics alike, rumors swirled about what happened to what was teased to be a great movie. Over the years, rumors about studio interference on the film have swirled, with many of the actors from the movie admitting they shot a lot more footage than what ended up in the theatrical cut. Director David Ayer has gone as far as to say that the studio ripped up his entire movie. This has prompted fans to champion the “Ayer Cut” of the film, as in the intended cut that the director wanted to release. Ayer added fuel to the fire recently when he released a behind-the-scenes photo from the DC film. 

In a recent Twitter post, Ayer shared a close up picture of Karen Fukuhara as Katana from the film wearing the character's iconic mask. One of the major criticisms for the film was the actress’s lack of screen time, but the photo shows that Ayer probably had bigger intentions for the character's role. You can see the post below:

While Katana was probably in the intended Suicide Squad Ayer film a lot more than she ended up being, this can be said for many characters. Jared Leto got a lot of heat for his over-commitment to the gangster clown Joker role, but according to the Oscar winner, he was supposed to be in the film a lot more than he ended up being. Margot Robbie, who played Harley Quinn, has co-signed the notion, admitting a lot of what the Birds of Prey star filmed was cut. 

It is unclear if fans will ever really get the Ayer Cut that they hope for. Warner Brothers already funded the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which was a four hour version of the maligned 2017 Justice League that was taken over by Joss Whedon. Fan support ended up helping the release of Zack Snyder’s cut, and it’s considered to be a major improvement to the original. While precedent is there, it may create an unnecessary pattern of subsequent releases that WB doesn’t want to be bogged down by, especially as they try to reset the DCEU with a new cast. In addition, they made a different movie called The Suicide Squad in 2021 directed by James Gunn, that was very well received. 

Even if fans never do get the Ayer Cut, the director’s intentions and love for the characters is clearly there. He has a great track record of critically acclaimed action films like Fury and End of Watch so hopefully he gets another stab at a DC film with some of these characters. Katana looks incredible in the image he posted, and maybe he could help a stand alone film of the character under James Gunn’s reimagined DCEU. In the meantime though, fans will continue to campaign for their beloved Ayer Cut. 

You can revisit David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, which is streaming now with a Max subscription. For more information about other films within this universe planned for release, check out our upcoming DCEU movies guide. 

The DC Universe has had plenty of peaks and valleys since its inception. There was a great deal of drama surrounding the theatrical cut of Justice League, which was quite different form the vision of director Zack Snyder. Fans campaigned for years for the Snyder Cut, which was eventually completed and released in 2021. Since then some moviegoers have hoped that other DC flicks get the same treatment, especially the first Suicide Squad movie. And director David Ayer has responded after rumors swirled about releasing the Ayer Cut.

After it was revealed that Warner Bros. approved of a budget for Zack Snyder to complete and release his version of Justice League, the fans the campaigned turned their focus to Suicide Squad. David Ayer has been open about how studio interference got in the way of his vision, occasionally teasing the changes made to the story. Ayer recently tweeted out after chatter about his director’s cut being released occurred online. As he put it:

Well, there you have it. David Ayer cleared up this rumor and made it clear that he’s not actually working on a theatrical cut of Suicide Squad at this time. Still, there are fans out there who are likely going to keep campaigning for Warner Bros. to give his movie the Snyder Cut treatment. After all, there was plenty left on the cutting room floor.

The rumors about the Ayer Cut were presumably inspired by the filmmaker himself. Earlier this week David Ayer shared some BTS photos from Suicide Squad. This seemingly drummed up excitement about a Directors Cut, and the rumors began circulating about that project coming together. But alas, there’s no plans to bring the Ayer Cut to life at this time.

Perhaps Ayer’s response shouldn’t be surprising, given the current state of DC. James Gunn and Peter Safran were recently named co-CEOs of the DCU, and have been making sweeping changes to the share universe as a whole. That pair is trying to plan the next decade of DC projects, and are hoping to have connected movies, TV shows, and video games. So it doesn’t seem logical for the studio to look backwards and re-release a movie from 2016.

David Ayer has yet to return to DC since the theatrical cut of Suicide Squad was released. The 2016 movie actually earned an Oscar, and got a spinoff in the form of Birds of Prey. The franchise also got a reboot/sequel in the form of James Gunn’s 2021 blockbuster The Suicide Squad, with a number of actors reprising their roles including Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, and Jai Courtney. 

The next DC movie hitting theaters is Blue Beetle on August 18th, followed by Aquaman 2 on December 20th. After that the new DCU will presumably be born. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your net movie experience. 

The DC Extended Universe is coming to an end and the DCU is getting ready to be born. But while many may already be looking toward the future, there are those that are still committed to the past. It’s difficult to argue with the idea that the DCEU never lived up to its potential, but many feel that success was sabotaged for some projects, and they have never given up hope that we might see the “correct” versions of some of these films someday, including David Ayer’s Suicide Squad.

Alongside the “Snyder Cut” of Justice League, fans have been calling for an “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad for almost as long as the theatrical version of the movie has been released. Ayer has never been shy about admitting that the movie we got was not the one he wanted to release, and now he has fans in a frenzy once again after releasing a series of Suicide Squad behind-the-scenes images on Twitter.

Fans who are still hoping to one day see the Ayer Cut are happy to see anything from the director’s original vision for Suicide Squad, but they’re also now getting their hopes up. Some are wondering if the fact that David Ayer is posting the images is some sort of sign that the Ayer Cut may actually happen, with fans reacting. 

• THIS BETTER BE AYER CUT TEASERS
• We need the Ayer cut bro!!!! Don’t give up!!!
• Thank you for sharing. I hope to see your original cut someday. #ReleaseTheAyerCut

From images of Harley Quinn’s baseball bats to pictures of an underwater Batman and Deadshot’s original mask, we’re seeing some images here that appear to be brand new, never released before. It could just be a caser of David Ayer continuing to go through what material he has and trying to find something new for the fans that have continued to show support. 

But it’s hard not to draw a line between the Ayer Cut and the Snyder Cut here. Zack Snyder used to do the same thing, regularly posting still images of his version of Justice League. It led to voices only getting louder asking for Snyder’s version of Justice League just as they continue to call for Ayer’s Suicide Squad.

• Outstanding! #ReleaseTheAyerCut
• Omg so cool!! Can't wait to see your mature cut David #ReleaseTheAyerCut @wbd
• GIVE IT TO ME NOOWOOOWOOWOWOWOWOW

And, of course, in the case of the Snyder Cut, success was eventually achieved. We did eventually get Zack Snyder’s Justice League as an HBO Max presentation. Knowing that it is possible to achieve success, one has to believe that’s the goal here.  

Fans are hoping that their voices are heard once again. Many of those that were part of the Snyder Cut movement have turned their attention to the Ayer Cut, seeing the two as kindred spirits, with both being DC movies that were ultimately not released as the vision of their creators.

• Ayer cut incoming?
• Come Back pls
• Awesome!!!! #ReleaseTheAyerCut

And while these images were not followed by an official announcement that the Ayer Cut is imminent, it does sound like fans should not give up hope. In a follow up tweet David Ayer said that he has spoken to James Gunn specifically about the Ayer Cut, and while the film is clearly not a priority right now, it sounds like Gunn is in favor of helping this movie see the light of day at some point.

When this could happen is anybody’s guess, but if we take David Ayer at his word, then it still very much could happen. That will almost certainly keep all the fans from losing hope.  

Even seven years after its release, people are still talking about Suicide Squad, specifically Jared Leto’s controversial performance as the Joker. While the iconic villain didn’t get enough time to shine in the DC movie the actor’s actions on set, and the creative choices made about his look have been questioned and debated for a while. While the director of the movie, David Ayer loves his movie dearly, he has also admitted that there is one thing about Leto’s Joker that he regrets. 

While Ayer defends Jared Leto’s Joker and Suicide Squad for the most part, he did admit that Joker’s face tattoo that says “damaged” was a mistake. The director posted on Twitter: 

This conversation was sparked on Twitter after Ayer defended Leto’s performance after Andrew Karam commented on a behind-the-scenes photo of the actor with: 

Ayer respectfully responded to the viewer who did not like Leto’s take on the Joker, writing: 

Another fan simply asked Ayer about the “Damaged” tattoo in the comments, and the director responded, saying it’s the one thing he wished he wouldn’t have done. However, for the most part, he liked what Leto did with the Joker, the big bummer was how much of his story they ended up cutting out of the DC movie.

Leto’s odd comments about the Joker, his performance, and his look in Suicide Squad have been highly controversial, and are still talked about all these years later. However, Ayer has mentioned time and time again that a big reason the movie and Leto's performance are so criticized is that a lot of Joker's scenes were cut from the film. 

Fans have wanted an Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad for a while now, especially considering how much of Suicide Squad was left of the cutting room floor after Warner Bros. allegedly got their hands on the movie. Even The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker’s John Cena said that it’s “in the company’s best interest to listen to their audience,” and implied that if there is a demand for Ayer’s movie, they should release it. However, it seems like if they were to release an Ayer Cut they might take out Leto’s face tattoo, based on the viewers’ and the director’s negative opinions about the word “damaged” being on Joker’s face. 

I think it’s safe to say that if Jared Leto’s Joker ever comes back into the DC universe he will not have “damaged” tattooed on his forehead. However, who knows if the actor will ever return as the legendary villain with DC’s big shakeup and new leadership. As more news comes out about the future of DC and Ayer’s comments about Suicide Squad, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. In the meantime, you can go back and watch the DC movies in order, and be sure to keep an eye on the upcoming superhero movies to see what’s coming out next from the studio.  

The DC Film world has been in an absolute uproar for the last few weeks. James Gunn and Peter Safran recently took over as the co-heads of DC’s film division and we’ve already seen significant changes to the expected future of the film projects. This has led to a lot of negative responses from fans unhappy with the new direction, but Suicide Squad director David Ayer says he sees the negativity from fans as passion.

James Gunn has been pretty public and open on Twitter since taking over as the co-head of DC Films and in a recent thread on Twitter he talked about the process of putting together the new plan for DC’s films. He also says he was well aware from the outset that there would be a flood of negative responses from a corner of the fandom. In a response, David Ayer came to something of a defense for those fans, as he says the negativity is simply a form of intense passion for the characters.. 

Of the various people involved in DC movie projects in the last few years David Ayer may have actually had one of the better experiences, at least when it has come to dealing with fans on social media. While Ayer’s Suicide Squad was a fraught production that did not turn out the way that he wanted, fans have largely been supportive of the vision he had, calling for an “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad in the same way fans pushed for, and eventually got, Zach Snyder’s Justice League. 

And apparently whatever negative feedback Ayer got he saw as coming from a place of passion, and thus he didn’t take it personally. And he’s certainly not wrong. DC Comics contain some of the most iconic characters not simply in comic books but in fiction. 

While Gunn and Safran have only been running DC Films for a few weeks, quite a lot has happened. Henry Cavill, previously believed to be back to playing Superman, is now out of the role once again, as James Gunn is apparently working on a brand new Superman movie himself. Dwayne Johnson has also made it clear that, while there may still be a future for his Black Adam in the new plan, the character is not in the near term plan. Obviously, for fans who feel passionate about these characters and actors, this is going to be frustrating news. 

While we’re starting to learn what we won’t see in DC films going forward, James Gunn says that we’ll start to see what it will include early next year. One thing is for sure, whatever it is, there will probably be fans with passionate responses. 

No matter how hard Warner Bros. tries to move forward with its on-screen DC universe – preparing to change the hierarchy of power once Dwayne Johnson introduces his take on Black Adam to audiences – there’s still an anchor rooting the studio to two benchmark projects made and released around 2015-16. Zack Snyder’s Justice League and David Ayer’s Suicide Squad were highly-anticipated team up movies in the burgeoning DC Extended Universe (DCEU) that notoriously had been butchered by WB, then championed by their respective directors for the alternate cuts they possessed. Snyder’s extended Justice League, nicknamed The Snyder Cut, finally made its way to HBO Max in 2021. Ayer can’t release his version of Suicide Squad yet… but that doesn’t mean he can’t show it to people.

David Ayer has been vocal on social media for years that he has a different cut of 2016’s Suicide Squad that includes deeper character development, more involvement from Jared Leto’s controversial Joker, a possible romance between Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Deadshot (Will Smith), and more. Whenever DC fans hopeful of one day seeing the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad receive some bad news about its prospects, Ayer tends to pop up on social and encourage his followers to keep up the fight. He has repeatedly shared the posts by the Twitter user RTAyerCutSS, and this morning, that account dropped this bombshell:

Let’s start with the obvious question: Is this legit? Personally, I don’t believe the Twitter user would tag David Ayer in the Tweet if they were lying. Also, this account has stayed consistent in its messaging regarding its fight for the release of the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad. It’s very possible to believe in a scenario where David Ayer chose to screen a cut of his movie, especially as the user clarifies in a follow up Tweet:

Naturally, fans had plenty of questions for this person who now alleges to have seen the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad. The director claims that the movie was ripped to pieces, but has danced around details that were put in the movie, and taken out. RTAyerCutSS revealed in a subsequent tweet that the Flash cameo does not make it into the Ayer Cut, connecting closer to Zack Snyder’s Ultimate Edition of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where Ezra Miller’s hero wasn’t an accomplished hero just yet (so, no confrontation with Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang).  

More details on this cut of the Suicide Squad movie could continue to leak out, though I have to wonder if now that the movie has been screened, we are all one step closer to seeing this longer, seemingly better cut of the film on a platform like HBO Max… the way that Zack Snyder was able to find closure with his movie on the streaming service. Stay tuned for more information regarding all DC movies, and the Ayer Cut specifically.

While Warner Bros. has really hit its stride with its vicarious DC movies, the first few movies left much to be desired. That includes David Ayer’s 2016 flick Suicide Squad, with the filmmaker being open about how studio intereference tampered with his original vision for the movie. Following the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, some fans have been holding out hope that they might eventually see the Ayer Cut come to fruition. And Ayer recently revealed how much work it would take to bring his version of Suicide Squad together.

Like the Snyder Cut before it, fans have been campaigning for months now to see David Ayer’s directors cut of Suicide Squad come together. While Warner Bros. seemingly has no plans to bring this type of project together, that hasn’t stopped the internet from continually bringing up the concept. Ayer was recently asked on Twitter about what it would take to finish his version of Suicide Squad if the studio allowed him to return to the project. He said,

Well, that’s exciting. It looks like David Ayer wouldn’t require any reshoots to complete his original vision for Suicide Squad, if given the opportunity. Instead, he’d just need the time to re-edit the 2016 blockbuster, and the resources to finish some much-needed visual effects. After all, it is a superhero movie. Now let’s make it happen, Warner Bros.!

Like Zack Snyder with Justice League, David Ayer has spoken time and time again about how his original vision for Suicide Squad was quite different from the theatrical cut that arrived back in 2016. Most of the footage involving Jared Leto’s Joker ended up on the cutting room floor, while Ayer has gone on record saying Harley Quinn’s story was “eviscerated.” And smart money says that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

Despite fan excitement about the Ayer Cut, there’s been no indication that Warner Bros. is willing to pull a Justice League and allow an alternate version of Suicide Squad to be completed/released. The franchise was given an R-rated sequel/reboot with James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. But with David Ayer keeping hope alive with thrilling updates like the one seen above, smart money says that the fans are going to keep making their voices heard. 

The release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League was definitely an unconventional one. Rather than going to theaters, the Snyder Cut found its home on HBO Max. The titular filmmaker didn’t take a paycheck for the job, which allowed his vision to be completed without any feedback. The four-hour streaming event was a massive hit, even recently winning an Oscars fan poll award for The Flash’s Speed Force sequence. 

The next installment in the DCEU is Black Adam on October 21st. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The DC Extended Universe is a fascinating place, with DC movies that have captivated the public with drama both on and off screen. David Ayer’s 2017 blockbuster Suicide Squad is definitely in that category, as the filmmaker has been open about how the studio interfered with his vision. Fans have been hoping to see the Ayer Cut be released to the masses after Zack Snyder’s Justice League was finally completed and put on HBO Max. Now Suicide Squad alum Jay Hernandez has shared his thoughts about the Ayer Cut potentially being released.

Bad Moms actor Jay Hernandez made his DCEU debut in Suicide Squad’s theatrical cut. He played El Diablo, who had a tragic story and ended up being one of the most powerful members of Task Force X. He was there to shoot the myriad scenes that were ultimately scrapped, and was recently asked by TV Line about what he thought about the Ayer Cut campaign. Hernandez responded honestly, saying:

Well, there you have it. It looks like Jay Hernandez is on board to see The Ayer Cut actually be completed and released for the masses. While it’s unclear if Warner Bros. will ever actually make this happen, it’s no doubt thrilling for fans to see so much of the cast in favor of it. Now give El Diablo what he wants!

In the years since Suicide Squad was released in theaters, filmmaker David Ayer has shared glimpses of some of the footage that was ultimately left on the cutting room floor at the behest of the studio. When the Snyder Cut actually became a reality, some fans began campaigning that Ayer should be given the same treatment. But for their part, Warner Bros. doesn’t seem all that interested.

Later in his same interview, Jay Hernandez went on to share how curious he is about what Suicide Squad would have looked if David Ayer was given full creative control of the blockbuster. He cited the Snyder Cut’s original streaming release, saying:

Same, though. Zack Snyder’s Justice League was a much different movie than the one that was released in theaters back in 2017. And smart money says Suicide Squad would be similarly changed if David Ayer was given his way. We’ll just have to see if he’s ever given the chance.

The next installment in the DCEU is Black Adam on October 21st. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Since even before we actually got the “Snyder Cut” there has been a second fan movement surrounding another DC movie project, David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. Like Justice League, it was another film that had a complicated road to the screen, and the final product was, by most accounts, not the movie that the director set out to make. Many would like to see that movie, and Will Smith it seems, is one of them.

Speaking with Variety at the premiere of Peacock’s Bel-Air, produced by Will Smith, the man who played Deadshot in Suicide Squad was asked his thoughts on a potential Ayer Cut. And Smith says he would love to see it because a great deal of what was shot didn’t make it into the final film. In his words, 

Will Smith isn’t looking to completely trash the version of Suicide Squad that we got, he says he loves that movie too, but he would certainly be into seeing an Ayer Cut if such a thing were ever to see the light of day. Jared Leto has also voiced support for the idea. Ray Fisher, whose character benefited greatly from Zack Snyder’s Justice League has as well.

How likely something like that truly is, however, remains to be seen. While there are certainly a lot of people who are passionate about the Ayer Cut, that crowd doesn’t seem quite as big (or at least not as loud) as those who spent years pushing for the “Snyder Cut” of Justice League. 

And while David Ayer himself has certainly shown thanks for those who have asked to see his version of the film, and would clearly support finishing his product, he doesn’t seem quite as personally driven. Zack Snyder did a lot of self promotion and releasing of images and other things that allowed the Snyder Cut movement to remain energized over a long period. Ayer hasn’t entirely gone silent on Suicide Squad, occasionally speaking on Twitter about how his movie would have been different, but not to the degree that Snyder did.

Even if you don’t feel passionately about the Ayer Cut, it’s still something that would be interesting to see. And considering that it likely wouldn’t turn out to be a four-hour miniseries in movie form, it would be a more intriguing exercise as it would be easier to compare the films directly. 

At the same time, that’s probably part of the reason we’ll never see it. If the Ayer Cut isn’t a demonstrably better movie then there’s little reason to spend the time, effort, and money required to make it real. But if it is the clearly better product then a lot of people responsible for the version of Suicide Squad we saw are going to look very bad, so there’s a reason they may not be too excited about the Ayer Cut. Warner Bros., at least right now, is not considering the idea. 

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The DC Extended Universe is an ever-changing place, with the most recent installment being James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. That release resulted in calls for David Ayer’s cut of the original 2017 movie Suicide Squad. And now Justice League’s Ray Fisher has weighed in on calls for the Ayer Cut.

Prior to the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Ray Fisher was one of the most vocal cheerleaders in calling for the full four-hour experience. While there currently aren’t any plans to release David Ayer’s cut of Suicide Squad, fans are longing to see the deleted footage. And now Fisher has weighed in on social media, posting:

Well, there you have it. With The Suicide Squad in theaters and currently streaming, there’s a ton of discussion about Task Force X. And Ray Fisher is using his platform to join fans in hoping that the Ayer Cut comes together similar to Justice League. We’ll just have to wait and see if Warner Bros. changes its mind and puts out another DC director’s cut.

The above post comes from Ray Fisher’s personal Twitter account. He’s super active on social media, often communicating with the public about his time in the DC Extended Universe. And while it’s unclear if/when he’ll return to play Cyborg, he still seems invested in the overall franchise.

DC fans can watch both version of Suicide Squad on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Since Suicide Squad was released in 2017, David Ayer has been open about how studio interference altered his original vision for the blockbuster. Much of Jared Leto’s Joker was left on the cutting room floor, as was a romance between Harley Quinn and Deadshot. Ayer went so far as to call Harley’s story “eviscerated” in the theatrical cut due to reshoots and extensive cuts.

Calls for the Ayer Cut came as soon as Zack Snyder’s Justice League was confirmed to be getting its full release over on HBO Max. But there’s been no indication that Warner Bros. is actually considering this choice of action. Still, that hasn’t stopped online discourse about the subject, especially in the wake of The Suicide Squad’s release. This includes Ray Fisher himself.

James Gunn’s R-rated blockbuster featured a number of returning characters from the original Suicide Squad-- although a few of them perished throughout the course of the movie’s runtime. The familiar faces included Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), and Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney).

The Suicide Squad is in theaters now. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Fans are loving James Gunn’s take on The Suicide Squad, and as it stands, it’s critically one of the highest-rated DCEU films. The new and improved The Suicide Squad has been a success (on that front at least), but the director behind 2016’s much-maligned Suicide Squad wants justice for his own film. David Ayer has been very passionate about his work on Suicide Squad. He has advocated for releasing his original cut of the film that the studio heavily altered, resulting in the movie not working as intended. DC fans have shown an outpouring --like huge outpouring -- of support for Ayer and his Ayer Cut vision, and now the Suicide Squad director has thanked them for supporting his call to get his cut of the film released.

Like The Justice League and The Snyder Cut, the original cut of Suicide Squad was reportedly changed by Warner Bros., resulting in what David Ayer has said his ultimate vision of the film was distorted into the panned film that was released into theaters. James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad has helped the recent push for David Ayer's original vision to get its due, an important issue for fans as they’ve rallied behind the director and call for a new cut of the film. David Ayer has sent out a heartfelt message thanking fans for the support he and his original vision have received on Twitter:

David Ayer celebrated #ReleaseTheAyerCut reaching over 400 thousand tweets, and thanked the fans punching for his movie in a touching message. David Ayer's passion has rallied many fans to his cause. They hope to achieve something similar to what happened with The Snyder Cut finally getting released on HBO Max, so the director’s true vision for the film is finally showcased the way it was meant to be.

David Ayer has been sharing some differences between his vision and the things left out in the film’s theatrical release, like Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Will Smith's Deadshot sharing a kiss. Ayer has been adamant about his original cut of Suicide Squad being mature and focused on its characters most of all. There seems to have been so much context and character development that was later abandoned in the studio cut of the DC flick. The idea behind #ReleaseTheAyerCut is interesting, and many DC fans would love to see it.

The Suicide Squad star John Cena has voiced his opinion about releasing David Ayer's true version of Suicide Squad, saying that listening to your audience might not be a bad idea. Clearly, with the number of tweets, the audience support is there, but it’s up to the studio to decide if they want to give in to the pressure once again. (It's worth noting, for example, that the Snyder Cut's HBO Max numbers may not have been what DC and Warner Bros. were hoping with the rerelease.) We'll have to wait and see, but as the Snyder Cut does illustrate, stranger things have happened.

With growing support, there is still a chance David Ayer and his fans could get their wish one day. What is clear? The freedom that James Gunn was allowed to operate with while directing The Suicide Squad has only bolstered the desire for Ayer's unaltered Suicide Squad cut. Now, the fight for Ayer’s vision doesn’t look like it will die down anytime soon.

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The DC Extended Universe recently expanded thanks to James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, but that wasn’t the first time that Task Force X made its way onto the big screen. David Ayer’s 2017 Suicide Squad had that honor, starring Margot Robbie and Will Smith as Harley Quinn and Deadshot respectively. And an Ayer Cut image just revealed those characters’ scrapped kiss.

In the years since Suicide Squad hit theaters, David Ayer has been open about how much his vision for the project was altered by the studio. So following the Snyder Cut, some fans have been hoping that Ayer might also get to reveal his original take on Suicide Squad. Those calls might get a bit louder now, thanks to a kiss shot of Harley and Deadshot seen below.

Well, my mind is blown. A number of concepts ended up on the cutting room floor of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, including this romantic plot line for Margot Robbie and Will Smith’s characters. But actually seeing Harley and Deadshot kiss is another experience entirely.

The above image comes to us from Twitter, and is accompanied by a short but clear caption: #ReleaseTheAyerCut. Conversation around the original vision for Suicide Squad has been swirling since before Zack Snyder’s Justice League hit HBO Max. But they’ve gotten a bit louder since Task Force X returned to theaters with James Gunn’s R-rated The Suicide Squad.

Both David Ayer and James Gunn’s Suicide Squad titles are currently available on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

While they didn’t kiss in the theatrical cut, Harley Quinn and Deadshot were certainly the leading characters of Suicide Squad. They had some chemistry for sure, but it’s clear that we’re missing a ton of extra content from this dynamic duo. And that’s not the only thing missing from David Ayer’s original plans for the movie.

David Ayer has been open about how the studio pushed for Suicide Squad to be more akin to comedy-driven projects like Deadpool. Much of Jared Leto’s Joker scenes ended up on the cutting room floor, while Ayer has gone so far to call Harley’s story “eviscerated.” The new image above certainly seems to hint at such, and certainly comic book fans are going to want to see more.

Unfortunately, there’s currently no indication that Warner Bros. is planning on giving David Ayer’s Suicide Squad the same treatment as Justice League. Ayer himself has maintained it would be easy to assemble, and has encouraged fans to make their voices known if they want to see the Ayer Cut. We’ll just have to wait and see if Warner Bros. actually moves forward with this concept.

The Suicide Squad is in theaters now. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

DC fans are coming off an incredible weekend catching up and geeking out about James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, an instant fan-favorite among Warner Bros’ comic book franchise despite its bummer box office. And yes, the latest Suicide Squad film is more focused, more fun and one of the best DCEU offerings we’ve ever seen. Now with all that being said, David Ayer’s director’s cut of 2016's Suicide Squad absolutely still needs to be released.

For context, much like Zack Snyder’s Justice League, David Ayer’s vision for Suicide Squad was shortchanged thanks to the studio changing its mind on the filmmaker’s vision while it was in post-production. According to Ayer, the success of Deadpool and the hate for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice ahead of the film’s summer 2016 release led Warner Bros to get “panicked’ and ask him to change a huge chunk of Suicide Squad. Let’s dive deeper into why the Ayer Cut should still see the light of day.

David Ayer Deserves The Some Redemption After Warner Bros’ Changes

Before Warner Bros turned on David Ayer’s original plans and Suicide Squad was changed to the theatrical version, which became a big hit at the box office aside from negative reception from moviegoers, the movie was an incredibly personal project to David Ayer. According to one of the film’s editors Kevin Hickman, who spoke to CinemaBlend about reworking the cut, it was similar to Black Hawk Down in its tone and comedy was injected into the film. So much like Zack Snyder’s Justice League, it was much darker, and therefore quite different than what James Gunn just did with the property.

Now that we are five years removed from Suicide Squad and the interest in David Ayer’s version of the film has only become more interesting to fans, Warner Bros has the chance to be a standup studio and give the filmmaker the chance to showcase what he had put his blood, sweat and tears into. It obviously wasn’t what the studio wanted at the time to make a mainstream, commercial superhero film, but now that the ship has sailed, the director and the fans deserve to see what he had intended to deliver. The main message here that Warner Bros would send is that it cares about their filmmakers and want to match the clear demand with the release of the Ayer Cut. That's a good message.

The Ayer Cut Can Exist As The DCEU Moves In Another Direction

I’m not saying The Ayer Cut should go to theaters. Much like Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the director’s cut could get a streaming release on HBO Max if David Ayer agreed to it. The filmmaker has been very vocal about his interest in sharing his version of Suicide Squad without stepping on or competing with James Gunn's movie by any means. As he shared, with the release of the Snyder Cut it’s proven that fans love these DC characters whether it’s canon or not. Watching the Ayer Cut at this point doesn’t take away from the recent version and it won’t take anything away from Warner Bros’ future with these properties.

The Ayer Cut could be like a bookend. As the DCEU says goodbye to David Ayer’s vision and moves on to the bright future ahead for James Gunn’s storytelling, audiences love to explore different versions of a story, just like we love talking about alternate endings for favorite movies or watching the deleted scenes. As Justice League probably showed us, we’ll likely watch the Ayer Cut and understand why it was probably too edgy compared to the $746 million grossing movie it became when it was released, but everyone will also get closure about what it was. I don’t know about you, but as eye-opening as the Snyder Cut was, I understand why Warner Bros felt like they could not market a four-hour movie. But also, I loved seeing the Snyder Cut, and I'm really happy it exists now.

There’s More Jared Leto’s Joker And Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn

The most legendary element of Suicide Squad is the lack of Jared Leto’s Joker, which was reportedly cut down to the bone for various reasons. As editor Kevin Hickman shared with us, there was “well over a million feet of film” of the movie that featured a ton of character work, including Leto providing a crazy amount of Joker footage. I think when Zack Snyder’s Justice League came out earlier this year too, a different aura started to surround the actor’s take on the character. After seeing what he brought to the epilogue, we started to wonder what else he could bring to the character, and the Ayer Cut can answer that question.

Additionally, Jared Leto’s Joker continues to be important in the DCEU despite his lack of screen time. As Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad has moved Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn along, much of her narrative has involved her breaking away from her toxic relationship with the Joker and becoming her own anti-hero. While Harley doesn’t need Joker to continue to kick ass in the universe, we would watch more context about their relationship that was likely explored in the Ayer Cut.

There’s A Positive Energy About Suicide Squad Again

Now is also a better time to release the Ayer Cut now that James Gunn’s version has come out. Before, if it had come out and knocked our socks off, we might have felt a bit alienated by Gunn’s release. But now The Suicide Squad has found its fans and carved out its own space, and the release of the Ayer Cut would just be bonus fun for DC fans. Coming out of The Suicide Squad, I found myself more invested in characters from the original movie like Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag or Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, and it would be fun to see them more fleshed out by Ayer’s vision.

If the Ayer Cut was released, it would really be a win-win by all angles. David Ayer gets to showcase the movie he had intended and close on good terms with the DCEU as it moves forward. The fans get to see Suicide Squad in its intended way. Warner Bros gets to show that it can play ball and perhaps own up to some past shortcomings, and it still has James Gunn to perhaps make more movies based on the property without changing a single thing. What do you think? Do you still want to see the Ayer Cut? Vote in our poll below.

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While the focus may be turned towards James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad in the moments before its opening weekend, there are still those fans who want to see David Ayer’s original vision for his preceding film released to the public. Much like the Snyder Cut before it, the Ayer Cut has people campaigning for its day in the sun, and that issue has made its way to Margot Robbie and more from the cast of The Suicide Squad. That in turn has spurred on some interesting responses.

During the big premiere of The Suicide Squad, Variety was on hand to speak with Margot Robbie and her cast-mates. So a hot button issue such as David Ayer’s original vision for 2016's Suicide Squad was bound to come up in conversation. In truly diplomatic fashion, Robbie addressed the concern of the Ayer Cut thusly:

This latest statement backs Margot Robbie’s previous voicing of curiosity when it comes to what Suicide Squad's Ayer Cut could contain. As one of the most popular faces of DC Comics, with both this franchise and Birds of Prey keeping Harley Quinn in the public eye, Robbie’s opinion quite possibly holds the most weight in the world of The Suicide Squad. Which only makes the support of her fellow Squad members all the more energetic.

Other stars from The Suicide Squad also lent their support to David Ayer’s hard-fought campaign to see his cut of Suicide Squad released. John Cena, Peacemaker himself, chimed in with his own thoughts, which were that if the fans really want the Ayer Cut to be released, it’d be in the best interest of Warner Bros to fulfill that public demand. Along some very similar lines, Joel Kinnaman also had his say when promoting The Suicide Squad, providing the following thoughts on the red carpet:

The wishes of the fans and the vision of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad are a perfect storm of demand. That only makes the fact that the director himself remains tireless in his quest to make it all happen all the more important. It certainly worked for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and it could do the trick again if the stars align.

Of course, part of that deal will be whether or not The Suicide Squad is a hit in theaters and on HBO Max. Showings start as early as 7 pm tonight, so be sure to check your local listings and plan accordingly. Or, if you’ve been looking for an excuse to sign up for an HBO Max account, check out the current offer for potential subscribers, and get in on the fun from the comfort of your own couch.

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The world is about to witness the rise of a new cinematic Task Force X, as James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad finally hits theaters later this week. Many are excited to see what the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker does with the DC Comics baddies, yet others are still talking about David Ayer’s 2016 film. At present, many are holding out hope that Warner Bros. will follow up Zack Snyder’s Justice League with an “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad. The chances of director’s cut seem slim at the moment, but that hasn’t stopped some stars from chiming in on the topic, including John Cena.

Unlike some of his The Suicide Squad castmates, John Cena wasn’t part of David Ayer’s film. Nevertheless, the actor still dropped some honest and respectful thoughts during the Los Angeles premiere of the new film:

John Cena, while brief, appears to imply to Variety that it may be worth Warner Bros.’ while to release the director’s cut of Suicide Squad, if the studio has it in its possession, of course. The fan outcry for the Ayer Cut has visibly intensified after the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and Cena appears to recognize that. Though at present, the studio has confirmed it has no plans to develop and release a cut.

Since Suicide Squad was first released back in the summer of 2016, David Ayer has asserted that the theatrical cut of the film is far different from his original vision. At one point, he even claimed that his original cut had been “ripped to pieces” during the editing process. He’s also shared small tidbits that seemingly hint at his original plans for the movie. The theatrical cut is currently available to stream on HBO Max, which you can sign up for using this link.

Despite the Ayer Cut’s release looking more unlikely, David Ayer doesn’t seem to be throwing in the towel. As a matter of fact, the director just recently took to social media to post an emotional message in which he reflected on his past and explained why he wouldn’t stop campaigning for the cut. His letter drew a myriad of responses from fans and even original Suicide Squad actor Jay Hernandez.

It’s safe to say that Zack Snyder’s Justice League has taught us two things. The first is that fans are incredibly persistent, and the second is that the unexpected can actually happen. This isn’t to say that fans will definitely get the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad made but, at this point, you honestly never know.

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As soon as Warner Bros. announced that Zack Snyder’s Justice League would finally be released via HBO Max, some fans immediately began calling for the studio to do the same with David Ayer’s 2017 Suicide Squad movie. Both blockbusters suffered from studio interference, and Ayer recently shared an emotional post further explaining his feelings about the movie. And now original Suicide Squad star Jay Hernandez has shared his support for the director.

While David Ayer has been open about how his vision was muddled in 2017’s Suicide Squad, the upcoming release of James Gunn’s sequel/reboot has brought the subject back to the forefront. Jay Hernandez played El Diablo in that infamous blockbuster, with the character seemingly killed off in the final battle. Hernandez posted his support of Ayer on social media, while also revealing true feelings about his character’s fate. Check it out below

Well, there you have it. There’s clearly nothing but love between Jay Hernandez and David Ayer, despite how Suicide Squad’s theatrical cut ultimately played out. It’s also clear that Ayer wasn’t the only one disappointed with how the story was changed.

The above post comes to us from Jay Hernandez’s personal Twitter account. The Bad Moms actor brought El Diablo to life in Suicide Squad, and was one of the biggest characters in the ensemble project. And it seems one of the ways that the story was altered was by killing off the pyrokinetic metahuman, much to the actor’s chagrin. Hernandez specifically referenced being a Latino actor, and how it felt being killed off as the industry calls for better representation.

DC fans can re-watch Suicide Squad on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

As Jay Hernandez mentions, it’s been difficult for him to watch as David Ayer struggled before and after Suicide Squad’s release. The film industry is ultimately a business, and unfortunately filmmakers have been known to lose battles to studios. But since Zack Snyder got finally to share his vision for Justice League, it’s unclear if the Ayer Cut will ever become a reality.

Unfortunately, Jay Hernandez was not one of the original Suicide Squad actors included in James Gunn’s upcoming blockbuster. Perhaps this is because of his presumed death in the original movie. Although I was always holding out hope that El Diablo would rise from the ashes for another adventure in the DCEU.

James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad will arrive in theaters on August 6th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

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Next week, Task Force X is returning to the big screen with James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. The new movie follows five years after the team’s first cinematic outing, with Training Day’s David Ayer directing that feature. While 2016’s Suicide Squad performed commercially well, it was by no means a critical darling, but in the years following its release, it’s been revealed that Ayer’s original vision for the movie was drastically altered for the theatrical cut. As such, there have been numerous calls for Warner Bros to release the “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad, and the filmmaker himself now opened up about his troubled past to elaborate on his reasoning for why he’ll never give up on seeing this version of the movie made available to the masses.

Taking to Twitter, David Ayer went into great depth about how difficult his life has been, from “doing a lot of stupid and dangerous shit” in his younger years to experiencing things in the Navy that “seared his soul” to getting “sucked back into the streets.” Then Ayer had the opportunity to make Training Day, and he said the main lesson he took away from the Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke-led feature was to “put your pain on the page.” Noting that he writes about his “lived truth,” Ayer said the following about his work on Suicide Squad:

Before going further, it’s worth noting that David Ayer’s statement about the Ayer Cut was in response to someone saying that he should “abandon the idea of that director’s cut” after they’d seen The Suicide Squad. But David Ayer isn’t willing to give up on this, saying he doesn’t have “any quit” in him since “every day breathing is a gift.” However, Ayer doesn’t ever intend to sharing his side of the story on what happened with Suicide Squad, as he keeps his “covenants” and has simply endured the “sometimes shockingly personal criticism” that’s been directed at him.

All this isn’t to say that David Ayer holds any ill will towards James Gunn for making The Suicide Squad. Quite the opposite, as Ayer capped off his statement with the following:

Following last year’s announcement that HBO Max would release Zack Snyder’s Justice League (it premiered on the streaming service on April), fans launched the #ReleaseTheAyerCut in the hopes that Suicide Squad would receive the same kind of treatment. And along with what he mentioned above, Ayer has been open over the years about not only how the plot of his Suicide Squad differed from what was shown in theaters, but why his vision was changed so drastically, attributing it to the success of Deadpool and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s poor critical reception. However, in March, Warner Bros chairman and CEO Ann Sarnoff said there are no plans to release the Ayer Cut.

Nevertheless, while he doesn’t plan to say anything more about the Ayer Cut publicly, Dave Ayer hasn’t given up on his version of Suicide Squad someday being released. Among the people who have come out in support for him following this statement is James Gunn, who tweeted this:

Needless to say that if Warner Bros changes its mind and decides to release Suicide Squad’s Ayer Cut on HBO Max, we’ll let you know. For now though, you can check out The Suicide Squad both in theaters and on the aforementioned streaming service (which you can sign up for with this link) starting August 5. The movie has been met with critical acclaim, and along with Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney, Viola Davis and Joel Kinnaman reprising their respective roles from the first Suicide Squad movie, the lineup of new talent includes Idris Elba, John Cena, Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi and David Dastmalchian, among others.

As always, keep checking back with CinemaBlend for all the biggest updates concerning upcoming DC Comics movies.

DC fans are gearing up for Warner Bros’ ensemble film The Suicide Squad from Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn. Yet at the same time, there is a growing call for the release of David Ayer’s cut of the 2016 movie that introduced Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn to the big screen comic book universe alongside his Task Force X and Jared Leto’s Joker. In light of the Snyder Cut, Ayer has said that his version of the film was “ripped out” by studio heads, leaving us wondering what audiences missed out on.

Kevin Hickman, one of the film’s editors, spoke with CinemaBlend about his illustrious career on the cutting room floor of movies, including Rogue One and the recent release Triumph. He talked with us his experience on 2016’s Suicide Squad, which he described as an especially “grueling” project to be part of. Hickman offered some insight about why the movie infamously was pulled apart from David Ayer’s original Suicide Squad concept with these words:

Late last year, Suicide Squad writer/director David Ayer said that the vision for his film shifted at the studio once Zack Snyder’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice received negative reviews and the comedic Deadpool became a major hit. It reportedly led Warner Bros to become “panicked” and change course. Kevin Hickman shared what exactly needed to be changed from an editing point of view:

Introducing ten major comic book characters in the matter of two hours was never going to be an easy feat, especially in a summer movie as big as Suicide Squad became. A lot of audiences hadn’t opened a Suicide Squad comic book before the movie came out, and Warner Bros was playing catch up with the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Amidst all of this, David Ayer didn’t exactly set out to make a straight-laced comic book film.

So it was decided behind the scenes that David Ayer’s original structure for the movie would be changed to offer more introductions early in the film and inject more comedy at the core of the story. And as we’ve certainly heard before, there was a much bigger plan for Jared Leto’s Joker then audiences got to see. When asked about the one aspect of the film Hickman wished had remained, the movie editor said this:

Jared Leto recently got a chance to reprise his version of The Joker for Zack Snyder’s Justice League during some additional photography Snyder did ahead of his director cut being released on HBO Max. The #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement was a years-long push by fans that ended on a high note with Snyder’s vision becoming publicly available.

The Snyder Cut has inspired calls for his SnyderVerse to continue, along with #ReleaseTheAyerCut. Kevin Hickman told CinemaBlend his thoughts on Suicide Squad’s director cut:

Warner Bros is certainly moving on with the upcoming release of The Suicide Squad on August 6, but it’s intriguing to hear the story behind David Ayer’s 2016 movie.

Godzilla vs. Kong’s rousingly positive box office numbers over the past couple of weeks has incited some optimism for movie fans who love going to theaters. Even so, last year was incredibly rough for exhibitors. It was announced Monday that ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres would not open their doors back up following a year of closures and movie ticket losses. The Hollywood ArcLight is an iconic theater to the industry, and many celebrities, including Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn and Mindy Kaling, have spoken out about the closure.

News recently broke that ArcLight theaters would not see a comeback this summer, even as we await blockbusters like Black Widow and Spiral: From the Book of Saw to get us to go out to the movie theaters again. The chain is owned by Decurion, and its most famous establishment, the Cinerama Dome, was one of the highest-grossing movie theaters in the nation and the only concrete geodesic dome on Earth. James Gunn took to Twitter to say this:

The writer/director who is getting ready to release The Suicide Squad this summer, alongside a day-and-date HBO Max release, recalled the personable experiences he had at the ArcLight following the sad news. His fellow DC director David Ayer shared his thoughts as well:

The iconic property has sat on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood for the past 58 years. The Hollywood ArcLight is a 15-screen theater that features the unique 7,500 pound dome. The Cinerama Dome has clearly been a hub for filmmakers and other creatives who work in Hollywood. Star Wars and Knives Out writer/director Rian Johnson said this:

In the statement from Decurion regarding the ArcLight and Pacific Theaters, it was noted that the decision was made due to the company not finding a “viable way forward” after a year of ebing closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu also brought up his own memories with the famed theater:

Baby Driver and Shaun of the Dead filmmaker Edgar Wright also joined in on the somber conversation, but he's hoping there's a way to save the beloved theaters announced to be closed:

To round out the reactions regarding the closure of these theaters, The Office actress and writer Mindy Kaling used her comedic chops to bring a bit of levity to the sad situation. In her words:

The Cinerama Dome recently made an appearance in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and is well known as a favorite spot for the Pulp Fiction filmmaker. Perhaps Hollywood will rally together and save these theaters, or at least the Sunset Boulevard location. Until we hear more, our hearts go out to the employees and moviegoers who called the ArcLight and Pacific Theaters home to them like these creatives shared.

The #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign has officially reached its conclusion, as fans were able to rally and convince Warner Bros. and DC to release Zack Snyder’s original vision for Justice League. All the while though, another campaign has been brewing, and it’s only gaining momentum following the release of Snyder’s film. Fans are now aiming to get David Ayer’s original version of 2016’s Suicide Squad (known as “The Ayer Cut”) released, and the filmmaker seems to be up for it as well. With this, he’s been providing some behind-the-scenes tidbits, particularly when it comes to the Joker. Now, the director has released some concept art of the famous villain, and it actually shows him naked.

We’ve seen the Joker in some crazy situations on the big screen over the years, but we’ve yet to see the Clown Prince of Crime nude in a movie. Well, based on David Ayer’s recent Twitter post, this is something he intended to rectify with Suicide Squad. You can check out the original post down below:

Needless to say, you’re probably never going to unsee this image of a naked and tattooed Joker lying down, surrounded by playing cards, knives and guns, among other things. Suicide Squad did include a shot of Joker in a similar position, only in that scene, he was fully clothed and laughing after learning the location of his lover, Harley Quinn.

There’s a firm chance this particular sequence isn’t something that would be included in the proposed Ayer cut but rather something the director was toying with early in production. Still, Ayer has claimed that his cut is vastly different from the theatrical version, so there’s always the possibility that he did, at the very least, shoot the scene.

When he’s not making his desire for the Ayer Cut known or sharing thoughts on James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, David Ayer has actually found himself defending his version of Joker. Many fans have expressed their issues with Jared Leto’s portrayal, viewing it as a massive contrast from how the character is depicted in the comics. On the other hand, some fans enjoyed this interpretation and have even found ways in which Ayer stays true to the character’s roots.

David Ayer has also been heavily supportive of Jared Leto, who he believes didn’t get his just due with the theatrical cut. The director has even admitted that he should have made Joker the film’s main antagonist as opposed to a supporting character.

Fans did get another (pretty terrifying) look at Jared Leto’s Joker in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, though it’s safe to say fans are still hoping to see more of his DC Extended Universe debut in a Suicide Squad director’s cut. As of right now, it doesn’t look like David Ayer will have the opportunity to unveil such a film, but stranger things have happened, right?

Suicide Squad is available to stream on HBO Max.

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The release of Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max was an unprecedented event in the film world, and showed how truly powerful the fandom's voice can be. Shortly after the movie was announced to have a streaming home, fans began hoping that 2017's Suicide Squad would get the same treatment. After all, that filmmaker's vision was similarly altered as a result of studio interference. David Ayer recently reacted to the first trailer for James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, while also explaining how the Ayer Cut could still work.

There was a ton of excitement around Suicide Squad, but unfortunately the theatrical cut failed to resonate with audiences. In the years since, David Ayer has been open about how Warner Bros. altered his blockbuster, pushing for more comedy after the success of Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool. That property is being restarted thanks to James Gunn's upcoming R-rated blockbuster The Suicide Squad, and Ayer responded to the first trailers in a cryptic way. Check it out below.

Is David Ayer excited or heartbroken over The Suicide Squad? It's currently unclear, although he and director James Gunn have a mutual respect for each other. And in the meantime, fan will keep hoping that the Ayer Cut of 2017's Suicide Squad could become a reality.

David Ayer's response to The Suicide Squad's trailer came from his personal Twitter page, and is sure to turn a few heads. James Gunn's upcoming DC debut is a strange project because it's a mixture of a reboot and a sequel. And the project seems vastly different from Ayer's original. But there are a number of returning characters including Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), and Amanda Waller (Viola Davis).

The original Suicide Squad is currently available on HBO Max, which will also be the home of James Gunn's upcoming movie this summer. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

In the months since Zack Snyder's Justice League was announced, David Ayer has addressed the possibility of an alternate Suicide Squad cut a number of times. Sometimes the Bright filmmaker makes it sound like it could be a breeze, while other times it feels like a possibility. Ayer recently spoke to EW about the ongoing campaign fro the Ayer Cut, explaining how it could happen:

The man's got a point. Warner Bros. has been taking advantage of the multiverse quite a bite lately, allowing for multiple versions of the same characters to exist on the big screen. For instance, Joker and Matt Reeves' The Batman are both set outside of the main DCEU timeline. The Snyder Cut is also similarly in its own pocket of the franchise, and isn't officially canon. So an alternate cut of Suicide Squad could seemingly function within the same parameters.

Funny enough, James Gunn seem to think that his upcoming movie The Suicide Squad could actually help the campaign for the Ayer Cut. As the filmmaker recently put it on social media,

Another solid point made. When The Suicide Squad is released this summer, there's obviously going to be a renewed interest in the property. Plenty of HBO Max subscribers will no doubt re-watch the 2017 original, and wonder what David Ayer's vision could have accomplished without being altered. The Snyder Cut's inclusion of Jared Leto may drum up more interest in Suicide Squad as well.

Jared Leto's Joker was one of the characters that suffered the most from the studio's interference in Suicide Squad, and he was left largely on the cutting room floor. But Leto was able to reprise his role for the Knightmare sequence in Zack Snyder's Justice League, and fans no doubt want access to the unseen footage from his DC debut.

The Suicide Squad will hit theaters and HBO Max on August 6th. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Although the ongoing #ReleaseTheSnyderCut trend has become outdated thanks to Zack Snyder’s Justice League reaching HBO Max earlier this month, the unprecedented director’s cut movement has inspired some new fan campaigns. #ReleaseTheAyerCut and #RestoreTheSnyderVerse. DCEU fans are hoping to see David Ayer’s true vision for 2016’s Suicide Squad, and the filmmaker is providing context as to why the theatrical release was so disappointing.

On the Monday following the drop of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, WarnerMedia Studios CEO Ann Sarnoff made blatant comments about the studio moving away from Snyder’s planned Justice League arc after the HBO Max release. Warner Bros has no plans to continue the SnyderVerse, nor will it apparently entertain the director’s cut of the first Suicide Squad movie. Even so, David Ayer is speaking out about why his film may deserve a second pass by describing his Suicide Squad experience. In his words:

In a recent interview with EW, David Ayer spoke candidly about Warner Bros’ role in changing the Suicide Squad film the director had intended for 2016 moviegoers. The superhero blockbuster came out the summer directly following Fox’s Deadpool success, and the studio reportedly made some changes to Suicide Squad to resemble the Marvel film. Sadly, that meant changes to Ayer’s intentions for the film and some dismal responses about the highly-anticipated DCEU entry.

Similarly to Zack Snyder’s vision for Justice League, it seems as though David Ayer had a darker and more heartfelt approach to his comic book movie, but some of it was switched out to more resemble the snarky tome of the Ryan Reynolds-led Deadpool, which had become a runaway hit. One of the key changes to Suicide Squad Ayer has noted is the diminished amount of Jared Leto’s Joker. The performance reportedly had a lot more to it than audiences saw in theaters back in August 2016.

Suicide Squad made comparable numbers at the box office to Deadpool in 2016, but it was pulled apart by critics and fans alike. Though it did still manage to become a big cultural moment and introduce Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn to the DCEU. Following its reception, David Ayer has been removed from plans to continue the storyline and James Gunn came in to make The Suicide Squad, which is coming this summer. Check out the trailer below:

James Gunn’s version will see the return of some familiar members from the 2016 movie, along with a huge new cast including Idris Elba, Sylvester Stallone and Pete Davidson among them, as well as redirect the title to a new vision different from David Ayer’s. The Suicide Squad is coming to theaters and HBO Max on August 6. What do you think? Would you like to see The Ayer Cut? Vote in our poll below.

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It's been a wild time for comic book fans, as last week Zack Snyder's Justice League finally saw the light of day. When it was first revealed that the four-hour streaming event had found a home on HBO Max, fans immediately began hoping that 2017's Suicide Squad would get the same treatment. After all, director David Ayer has been open about how the studio similarly interfered with his original vision. Unfortunately Warner Bros. made a statement to the contrary, and now Ayer has personally responded to the bad news.

Moviegoers have been sounding off with #ReleaseTheAyerCut for a few months, as we patiently awaited Zack Snyder's Justice League to finally arrive. David Ayer even expressed interest in making this happen, although he was doubtful Warner Bros. would make such a move. And when the studio officially shut down those rumors, Ayer responded with a short, sad post on social media. Check it out.

One word and a seriously sad emoji is all David Ayer said about Suicide Squad's alternate cut. While the filmmaker might not be surprised by this turn of events, he's still sad that his original vision for the villain-centric blockbuster will likely never see the light of day. But that won't stop fans from hoping.

The above post comes to us from David Ayer's personal Twitter. He's super active on social media, and has been candid about his time working on Suicide Squad. This includes how much of the movie was altered by the studio in an attempt to make the movie more Deadpool-esque with extra comedy. What's more, Ayer maintains that Harley and Joker's story was eviscerated in the theatrical cut.

Suicide Squad and the Snyder Cut are both available on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Jared Leto's role in Suicide Squad was mostly left on the cutting room floor, with the Oscar-winning actor having only a tertiary presence in the blockbuster. This came after months of stories about his performance and wild on-set antics. Leto was recently able to reprise his role for the first time during the epilogue of Zack Snyder's Justice League.

The Snyder Cut is a truly unprecedented project, one that has the possibility to have implications throughout the entertainment world. Fans campaigned for years ahead of Warner Bros.' deal with Zack Snyder to release the four-hour movie HBO Max. The studio shelled millions for the necessary editing and visual effects, as well as Snyder's brief reshoots. But it doesn't seem that Warner Bros. is hoping for lightning to strike twice.

Instead of the Ayer Cut arriving, the villain-centric property will get new life with James Gunn's The Suicide Squad this summer. The R-rated blockbuster will be a reboot/sequel to the 2017 original, featuring a handful of returning characters. But everyone involved has highlighted what a distinctly different project it is this time around. Luckily, the wait for that DC flick is nearly over.

The Suicide Squad will hit theaters and HBO Max on August 6th. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

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Last week, following years of campaigning and nearly a full year after it was officially announced to be on the way, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, a.k.a. the Snyder Cut, finally premiered on HBO Max. The four-hour Justice League tale has earned much better critical reception compared to its theatrical predecessor, and as DC Extended Universe fans know, it’s not the franchise’s only director’s cut that’s built up a following. Alas, for those of you who’ve been wanting to see director David Ayer’s definitive vision for Suicide Squad, a.k.a. the Ayer Cut, some bad news just came in.

During an interview with Variety, WarnerMedia Studios CEO Ann Sarnoff was asked if following the arrival of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, will more DCEU director’s cuts be released, with David Ayer’s cut of Suicide Squad specifically being mentioned. Sarnoff responded:

Well, that’s a devastating blow to the #ReleaseTheAyerCut movement, which started gaining in traction back in May 2020 after Zack Snyder’s Justice League was announced. Like the Snyder Cut, there are plenty of differences between what unfolded in David Ayer’s original version of Suicide Squad and what was presented in the theatrical cut, ranging from more scenes featuring Jared Leto’s Joker to a badass fight sequence between Katana and the rest of Task Force X. While the theatrical cut was commercially successful and later won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, its critical reception left a lot to be desired.

David Ayer has been supportive of the efforts to getting the Ayer Cut released to the public, saying last November that his version of Suicide Squad was “ripped to pieces” as a result of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice being “chewed up by the critics” and the success of Deadpool. This resulted in Suicide Squad being changed from a “soulful drama” to a more comedic story. Ayer confirmed on numerous occasions that the director’s cut of Suicide Squad exists, and urged fans to ask AT&T and HBO Max (which you can sign up for with this link) to “let it see the sunlight.”

Unfortunately, this goal will not be accomplished. Now granted, there was a time when there were no plans to release the Snyder Cut, and look how that turned out. So just because Ann Sarnoff and the rest of the WarnerMedia brass aren’t interested in releasing the Ayer Cut now doesn’t necessarily mean that they couldn’t change their minds in the future. It’s hard to imagine the original Suicide Squad not performing well as an HBO Max offering, especially since Ayer said it would be “easy to complete.”

However, it’s possible that WarnerMedia’s unwillingness to release the Ayer Cut boils down to two reasons. One, although the #ReleaseTheAyerCut movement is obviously filled with passionate fans, its ranks haven’t grown as big as the Snyder Cut fanbase. Two, while there are no more Justice League movies planned for the immediate future (although the #RestoreTheSnyderVerseMovement is well underway), Task Force X is sticking around the cinematic realm, with James Gunn having written and directed The Suicide Squad. So perhaps WB isn’t keen on releasing the Ayer Cut to the masses because it doesn’t want to draw attention away from the property ushering in a new era.

Whatever WarnerMedia’s reasoning is, for now, the proverbial Ayer Cut book has been closed, but you can see a new iteration of Task Force X charge into action when The Suicide Squad arrives on August 6. James Gunn is also shooting a Peacemaker spinoff series, which will premiere on HBO Max in early 2022.

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The DC Extended Universe had a bumpy start, with movies like Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad failing to resonate with audiences. The latter film was directed by David Ayer, but unfortunately he's been open about how studio interference greatly altered his vision. The villain-centric property will return with James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, and the latest update about the blockbuster might inspire more calls for the Ayer Cut.

After it was announced that the Snyder Cut was becoming a reality on HBO Max, fans immediately called for David Ayer's Suicide Squad to get the same cut. This comes off reports that Warner Bros. pushed for the film to be more comedic after the massive success of Deadpool. Meanwhile, Task Force X will return to theaters with James Gunn's The Suicide Squad this summer. Check out Gunn's latest post, which is sure to result in more posts about The Ayer Cut.

Well, there you have it. It looks like Warner Bros. might have learned its lesson since Suicide Squad hit theaters in 2017. Either that or they have complete faith in James Gunn, because the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker felt extremely supported by the studio. And as a result, his DC debut will be all his.

James Gunn's post about The Suicide Squad comes from the filmmaker's personal Twitter page. While his history with the social media outlet is spotty, the filmmaker still uses it to speak directly with moviegoers about his upcoming comic book movies. Case in point the exchange seen above, where Gunn teases the contents of his DCEU blockbuster, while also complimenting the support of Warner Bros.

Seeing how James Gunn was given control over The Suicide Squad, its a bit sad that David Ayer wasn't given the same opportunity with his first movie. While the project was still able to make money at the box office and even won an Oscar for Best Makeup, the original Suicide Squad was still changed a ton thanks to pressure by the studio. And as such, we never actually got to see Ayer's vision come to life.

Suicide Squad is currently available on HBO Max, which will also be the home of James Gunn's new movie this summer. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

The Snyder Cut is going to finally arrive in March, after years of fan campaigning and crowdfunding. It should be interesting to see how much of a change the project makes in the greater DCEU, as well as how many new subscribers sign up for HBO Max. If this is a business model that proves successful, perhaps Warner Bros. will be convinced to let David Ayer go about the same process.

As for The Suicide Squad, James Gunn has been sharing tidbits of information leading up to the first official trailer. The acclaimed filmmaker went so far as to call it his biggest and most fun project of all time. Considering his tenure in the MCU this says quite a lot. What's more, he seemingly has ideas for a sequel. Fingers crossed.

The Suicide Squad is currently expected to arrive in theaters on August 6th. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

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The DC Extended Universe is known for constantly keeping the moviegoing public on their toes. There are plenty of twists both behind and on the screen, and in no project is that more obvious than Justice League. After years of fan campaigning the Snyder Cut will become a reality on HBO Max this March, and with Zack Snyder having finally completed his vision. The filmmaker made the bold choice of utilizing Jared Leto's Joker during reshoots, and now we can see the first glimpse of his return to the Clown Prince of Crime.

During reshoots or the Snyder Cut, Zack Snyder made the bold choice to include Jared Leto's Joker. Clearly his version of Justice League will open new narrative doors, including Leto reprising his role for the very first time since David Ayer's movie. And now we can see the first glimpse at this comic book moment, check it out below:

I mean, how cool is that? While we can't actually make out Jared Leto's face, there's no denying Joker's pale white skin. Additionally, the faceless figure is holding up a Joker card, which really hammers the point home. Joker's back for the Snyder Cut, and the general public is completely the dark regarding how/why.

The above image comes to us from Zack Snyder's personal Twitter. The visionary filmmaker regularly uses social media to communicate with fans, often teasing the long-awaited release of the Snyder Cut in the process. And with his version of Justice League mere months away, these updates should only increase in volume moving forward.

With its distinct lack of color, this image of Jared Leto's Joker is quite different from what we saw in Suicide Squad. On first glance it looks more like the ultra gritty versions we saw in Joker and The Dark Knight Rises. Since the character was completely missing from Justice League's theatrical cut, there's no telling how Zack Snyder is going to utilize the beloved Batman rogue.

Suicide Squad is currently available on HBO Max, which will also be the home of the Snyder Cut. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Jared Leto's time as The Joker has been a unique one, full of roadblocks. Studio interference resulted in David Ayer's vision for Suicide Squad being greatly altered. Harley and Joker's story was "eviscerated" in the process, with Leto ending up with minimal screen time. Add on the massive success of Joker and Joaquin Phoenix's Oscar win for the role, and it seemed like Leto might have been done as Mr. J.

Alas, Jared Leto's Joker will end up in Zack Snyder's Justice League. Perhaps we'll be treated to quality screen time between he and Ben Affleck's Batman. What's more, fans are eager to see their DCEU backstory expanded, including the death of Robin. Luckily, the wait is nearly over and all our questions will be answered shortly.

The Snyder Cut is currently expected to arrive March 18th on HBO Max. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

When Suicide Squad hit theaters in 2016, it wound up being a big disappointment to longtime fans of the comic series. Creative differences between director David Ayer and the studio led to the final cut of the film being much different from his original vision. Now that Warner Bros. has opened up the door for fan-supported director’s cuts, some have renewed the call for The Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad -- and even some of the cast members, like Joel Kinnaman, have weighed in.

In both David Ayer’s Suicide Squad and James Gunn’s upcoming The Suicide Squad, Joel Kinnaman plays the pivotal role of Rick Flag. He hasn’t held back on his feelings about the original film -- and how he, like fans and critics, felt it could have been much better. So it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that he’s got some feelings about the potential of Suicide Squad following in the Snyder Cut’s footsteps. When asked if he thinks an Ayer Cut would be a good idea, he said:

It’s an interesting perspective, and a good one to keep in mind -- that this experience of a filmmaker and studio not seeing eye-to-eye is far from abnormal. Still, based on Joel Kinnaman's comments on The Playlist Podcast, he would be on board with an Ayer Cut, for one reason in particular:

Joel Kinnaman isn’t the only member of the original Suicide Squad who’s voiced an opinion on a potential Ayer Cut. Jared Leto, who famously played the Joker in a surprisingly small role, has also hinted that he’d be happy for David Ayer if he were able to have another opportunity to revisit the film. Margot Robbie, a.k.a. Harley Quinn, has also admitted she’d be curious to see The Ayer Cut. Given that fans were especially frustrated with Harley Quinn’s character arc in Suicide Squad, it’s easy to understand why.

Of course, David Ayer himself seems to be up to the challenge of bringing the world the Suicide Squad he imagined. There’s just one problem: he’s made it pretty clear that as of right now, The Ayer Cut is not happening. So for now, we’ll have to wait for James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad -- it’s currently due to hit theaters in August 2021.

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After three years of #ReleaseTheSnyderCut working its way into internet conversations and making it onto Comic Con posters and messages on the tails of planes, Zack Snyder is officially gearing up to show off his four-hour cut of Justice League on HBO Max this year. It’s an exciting development for the DCEU and has motivated fans to start to campaign for the Ayer Cut of 2016’s Suicide Squad, with many hoping to especially see more of Jared Leto’s Joker.

David Ayer has made it clear that there was a lot more to Jared Leto’s Clown Prince of Crime than what made the cut of the film. The contemporary version of the villain was seriously hyped up before the movie’s release, but the theatrical cut of the film barely featured Joker. Leto recently spoke to his thoughts on the Ayer Cut with these words:

While on Variety’s Award Circuit Podcast, Jared Leto showed some empathy for the filmmakers involved in studio films as massive as Suicide Squad. He expressed an understanding of the complications comic book films can deal with and shared his support for David Ayer having another shot at showing all that he had planned for the project. There are no plans in place right now concerning the Ayer Cut, but the director has been vocal about how his vision for the film was “ripped out” due to studio meddling following negative reactions to BvS.

Jared Leto is reportedly going to reprise his role as Joker in Zack Snyder’s Justice League this year in a bit of a different way than we remember him in Suicide Squad. Fans have proven to be quite curious when it comes to the classic villain's role in the massive ensemble piece.

Warner Bros. does seem to be moving on from David Ayer with James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, which will feature a number of characters from the original film including Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller. The upcoming movie will also introduce a ton of new members to the fateful DC team, but it will not include Jared Leto’s Joker.

Every 2021 Warner Bros movie, including James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, will be available to stream on HBO Max on release day. You can sign up for the streaming service so that you'll be able to watch the movies as they release. Stay updated on what’s coming in the DCEU with CinemaBlend’s updated list of upcoming DC movies.

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The DC Extended Universe has had a unique life in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. The franchise got off to a rocky start with projects like David Ayer's Suicide Squad which failed to resonate with audiences and critics alike. In the years since the filmmaker has been open about how studio interference affected his villain-centric blockbuster, especially for Jared Leto's Joker. And his latest short but exciting statement about the villain will no doubt help inspire more calls for the Ayer Cut.

David Ayer's Suicide Squad hit theaters back in 2017, and didn't quite live up to the hype established by the stellar cast and Queen-infused trailer. Ayer has since cited studio interference, which pushed for more comedy and "eviscerated" Harley and Joker's story. Jared Leto's character ended up barely in the theatrical cut, and the Bright director recently answered a fan question about Mr. J, saying:

Well, there you have it. It looks like David Ayer originally had much bigger and better plans for Joker in Suicide Squad, before much of Jared Leto's scenes were left on the cutting room floor. We'll just have to wait and see if the additional footage ever sees the light of day, revealing the original plans for the beloved DC villain.

David Ayer's comments come from his personal Twitter page, which he often uses to speak directly with the moviegoing public. He's spent years offering tidbits of what it was like working on Suicide Squad, and exactly where his original plans for the villain-centric blockbuster went awry. He's also shared images from the unused footage, leading DC fans to call for Warner Bros. and HBO Max to #ReleaseTheAyerCut.

The original Suicide Squad movie is currently streaming on HBO Max, which will also be the home of the Snyder Cut. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

These calls for Suicide Squad's alternate director's cut began soon after it was revealed that the Justice League's Snyder Cut would become a reality. After fans and the cast campaigned and crowdfunded for years, Zack Snyder was given millions for reshoots, editing, and visual effects. Given how David Ayer's DC blockbuster was similarly bogged down by studio interference, fans immediately pivoted their attention in hopes of the Ayer Cut getting that same treatment.

While's it's currently unclear if the director's cut of Suicide Squad will ever be released, Jared Leto's version of Joker will be given new life. Namely because Zack Snyder is bringing the character into his massive vision for the Snyder Cut, with Leto coming in for the reshoots. Perhaps this will help inspire Warner Bros. to move forward with another project for that version of the Clown Prince of Crime. Only time will tell.

In the meantime, Jame Gunn will bring the franchise back with a reboot/sequel The Suicide Squad-- hitting theaters on August 6th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.

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The DC Extended Universe has had an interesting tenure in theaters, full of both peaks and valleys. The franchise had a rocky start, including some missteps with Justice League and Suicide Squad. But with the Snyder Cut becoming a reality over on HBO Max, some fans are hoping that David Ayer will get the same treatment for his villain-centric blockbuster. And now Margot Robbie herself has addressed this fan campaign.

Margot Robbie debuted her live-action version of Harley Quinn in David Ayer's Suicide Squad, before going on to reprise that role in Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad. Ayer has been open about how much the studio interfered with his vision for the 2017 movie, specifically citing how Joker's role was cut down and Harley's story was "eviscerated." Robbie was recently asked what she thought about the calls for the Ayer Cut, to which the Oscar nominated actress said:

Well, there you have it. Margot Robbie herself is eager to see some of the Suicide Squad footage left on the cutting room floor. And while there's no indication that Warner Bros. will move forward and actually make the Ayer cut a reality, perhaps having Harley Quinn invested could help these talks get off the ground. Only time will tell.

Margot Robbie's comments on the Happy Sad Confused podcast are sure to encourage DC fans out there who are hoping that the Suicide Squad director's cut will become a reality. David Ayer's vision for the movie was greatly changed due to studio interference, which called for the ill-fated movie to become more comedy following the success of Deadpool. Unfortunately, this isn't a pivot that audiences and critics responded to.

The theatrical cut of Suicide Squad is currently available on HBO Max, which will also be the home of Justice League's Snyder Cut. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

While the Ayer Cut might never become a reality at HBO Max, the franchise will continue on with James Gunn's the reboot/sequel The Suicide Squad. The movie will contain a handful of returning characters, including Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. The highly anticipated blockbuster is sure to be quite different from its predecessor, as the Guardians of the Galaxy director is known for putting his own personal spin on the superhero genre.

As for David Ayer, he's been able to keep busy in the years since Suicide Squad hit theaters. While he's continued to use social media to speak to his experience in the DCEU, Ayer has gone on to helm projects like Netflix's Bright and The Tax Collector starring Shia LaBeouf. We'll just have to see if any of the unseen footage from Suicide Squad makes it to the light of day in the future.

The next installment in the DCEU is Wonder Woman 1984, which is currently expected to hit theaters in time for Christmas. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.

It's still somewhat difficult to believe that Zack Snyder's Justice League is a real thing that is actually happening. The campaign to bring the project to life took years of work from dedicated fans. But in addition to making that specific creation a reality, the decision also energized other fan movements looking to make other films real, because Justice League isn't even the only DC Comics movie that fans want to see re-cut. There has been an on going effort to get the "Ayer Cut" of Suicide Squad, produced in the same way that we're now getting Justice League, but David Ayer himself is saying that any claims such a thing is happening are untrue.

While David Ayer has not been shy when it has come to talking about the fact that the version of Suicide Squad that we saw was not the original story that he wanted to tell, which has certainly encouraged those that really want to see that version of the film, he also hasn't been shy in knocking down rumors that are untrue. And don't expect to see David Ayer's Suicide Squad on HBO Max anytime soon. This is because the director is now specifically refuting a report that exactly that was about to happen.

While the original source of the story has now included the fact that David Ayer is refuting this report, it also says it is standing by the sources that claim that the "Ayer Cut" could, or will, happen on HBO Max at some point following Zack Snyder's Justice League. However, if such a thing were happening, one certainly assumes that David Ayer himself would be in those meetings, and he says it's not true.

If this was something that was happening and David Ayer wasn't supposed to talk about it, you'd expect he would have simply ignored the person on Twitter asking him about it, so the fact that he's making a statement makes the whole thing seem pretty cut and dried.

But don't expect that to actually dampen the spirits of those that want to see a new, old, version of Suicide Squad. Even if David Ayer is completely correct that there are no discussions of releasing another version of that film, it doesn't mean that there's zero chance of such a thing happening. It happened once, after all.

And considering how popular Zack Snyder's Justice League has been, it's not crazy that WarnerMedia and HBO Max might consider doing it again. Hell, if there were more DC movies that could be given this sort of treatment, it could become its own little HBO Max franchise. That sort of high profile, in-demand original content is exactly the sort of thing that every streaming service wants, so it's not crazy that HBO Max might at least investigate the possibility.

Although 2016’s Suicide Squad was a commercial success, it didn’t fare nearly as well on the critical front. However, following the announcement that Zack Snyder’s Justice League, a.k.a. the Snyder Cut, is heading to HBO Max, there have been calls for the “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad to be made available to the public, as Ayer has confirmed that his original vision for the movie was significantly altered due to studio interference.

Recently, David Ayer was asked what Suicide Squad scene was the toughest to “leave on the cutting room floor,” to which he responded, “The first 40 minutes,” and he followed that up with another tweet saying how he couldn’t emphasize enough that the movie was “ripped to pieces.” Ayer then explained the why Suicide Squad was so drastically changed with the following:

The beginning of 2016 was an interesting time for the superhero movie genre. After years spent in development hell, Deadpool finally arrived that February and showed that an R-rated comic book adaptation could be successful both critically and commercially. And while Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has certainly built a loyal fanbase, there’s no question that it earned a thrashing from a lot of professional critics during its theatrical run.

Those two factors led to Warner Bros and DC leadership deciding to take Suicide Squad in an entirely different direction just months before the movie was supposed to come out. So not only was Ayer unable to put the finishing touches on his original edit of Suicide Squad, he later had to shoot new scenes that were written by Geoff Johns, the then-Chief Creative Officer at DC Entertainment. The result was Suicide Squad becoming a more lighthearted and comedic movie, rather than the “soulful drama” that Ayer wanted to deliver.

While sometimes reshoots can end up improving a movie (look at Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), that didn’t end up being the case with Suicide Squad, with the third DC Extended Universe installment ranking at just 26% among profession critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s also worth mentioning that Geoff Johns would later rewrite portions of Justice League, another DCEU movie that suffered from studio interference and critically underperformed.

However, with Zack Snyder’s original vision for Justice League now heading to streaming, there are plenty of DCEU fans campaigning for the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad to be released on HBO Max too, including David Ayer himself. There hasn’t been any official word yet on if that will happen, but Ayer said back in May that his cut would be “easy to complete.” Among the ways the Ayer Cut would stand out from the theatrical Suicide Squad is including more screen time for Batman and The Joker, Katana getting into a fight with the rest of the Squad and Diablo making it out of the movie alive, to name a few.

Whether or not Suicide Squad’s Ayer Cut ever sees the light of day, Task Force X’s time on the big screen isn’t over. Next year, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad will come out, although the only characters from the first Suicide Squad movie who are returning are Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller and Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag. The Suicide Squad will also function as a standalone sequel, meaning you won’t need to have watched 2016’s Suicide Squad to follow along with this next cinematic adventure.

The Suicide Squad lands in theaters on August 6, 2021, and should there be any official announcemnt concerning the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad, we here at CinemaBlend will let you know. Keep track of other DC movies on the way with our handy guide.

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The DC Extended Universe has had a unique life in theaters, with twists both in front and behind the camera. And while Warner Bros. has hit its stride with a slew of critically acclaimed movies, there were a few missteps along the way. One of these was David Ayer's 2017 blockbuster Suicide Squad, with the filmmaker citing studio interference for altering his original vision. And now the Bright director has refuted reports of the movie ever being aimed for an R-rating.

Over the past few years, R-rated comic book movies have been released in theaters, proving what the rating isn't guaranteed to sink projects within the genre financially. While Deadpool and Logan leaned on this, it seems David Ayer never intended Suicide Squad to get the same treatment. Ayer recently addressed this rumor on social media, posting:

Well, that seems pretty clear. It looks like David Ayer never intended Suicide Squad to be an adult themed R-rated blockbuster. Instead, his vision for the movie was for the more accessible PG-13 crowd, allowing kids to enjoy comic book movies the same as adults. And ultimately that's exactly what the movie was rated when it hit theaters back in 2017.

David Ayer cleared up this rumor about Suicide Squad's rating over on his personal Twitter. He often uses social media to communicate with the fandom, answering questions about his work in the DC Extended Universe in the process. And while Ayer has been open about how his original vision for the villain-centric blockbuster was altered by the studio, that wasn't the case in regards to the movie's rating.

The theatrical version of Suicide Squad is currently streaming on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

While 2017's Suicide Squad was never planned to be rated R, it was indeed influenced by Ryan Reynold's first Deadpool movie. Namely because the studio saw the massive success of that romp at Fox, and cut the movie together in order to make it more comedic and raunchy. This is why so much of David Ayer's original vision was altered, and why Jared Leto's Joker was largely left on the cutting room floor.

As a result, the theatrical version of Suicide Squad failed to truly resonate with audiences when it hit theaters. But it was successful in a variety of other ways, making money at the box office and even earning an Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Additionally, the movie's success inspired Margot Robbie's spinoff Birds of Prey and James Gunn's upcoming soft reboot The Suicide Squad.

Fans are eager to see what The Suicide Squad is rated, and what Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn has in store for his upcoming DC debut. The movie's cast of characters and sizzle reel was just released, featuring plenty of named actors playing lesser known characters. David Ayer himself is supportive of the project, especially with Gunn in the director's chair. And Gunn has confirmed that there's been no studio interference on his end.

The Suicide Squad is currently expected to hit theaters on August 6th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies next year.