The Suicide Squad’s Joel Kinnaman Addresses What Went Wrong With The First Movie

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The DC Extended Universe is an interesting place, with a mixture of peaks and valleys. The property struggled to get its footing with the first few entries, including David Ayer’s 2017 Suicide Squad. A number of actors are reprising their roles for James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, including Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag. And Kinnaman recently addressed what went wrong with that infamous original movie.

The original Suicide Squad had a ton of hype surrounding is, as the first Queen-infused trailer showed off a killer cast. But the theatrical cut left something to be desired. While the franchise could have died there, luckily James Gunn will have his own take on Task Force X. Joel Kinnaman explained what went awry with David Ayer’s movie, saying:

I thought the first 40 minutes of the film was fucking great, and then there were conflicting visions and it just didn’t end up being what we all hoped it was. It didn’t feel like the movie that we hoped we were going to make, and this is something very different. …It’s just a different universe. It’s a James Gunn universe. It’s a very hilarious and depraved place.

Well, there you have it. David Ayer himself has been open about how he felt the studio interfered with his plans for Suicide Squad. And Joel Kinnaman is seemingly corroborating that claim, as he mentions a number of different visions that were conflicting. Let’s talk it all out.

Joel Kinnaman’s comments to Variety highlights what a distinctly different project James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is from its predecessor. It almost feels like an alternate universe entirely, despite Kinnaman and other actors reprising their roles from the original. Luckily audiences can judge for themselves as the new DC flick arrives this August.

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

Given these comments, I wouldn’t be surprised if DC fans increased calls for Warner Bros. to #ReleaseTheAyerCut. Once Zack Snyder was announced to be bringing his Justice League to HBO Max, moviegoers hoped that Ayer’s Suicide Squad would get the same treatment. After all, both blockbusters were greatly altered as a result of reported studio interference.

Luckily for James Gunn, he didn’t have that problem with his movie The Suicide Squad. The Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker has been open about the freedom he had with his upcoming DC debut. The R-rating also allowed the filmmaker to not hold back in regards to language and violence. We’ll just have to wait and see the grisly ways Task Force X members are killed off throughout its runtime.

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

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.