John Cena Responds To Calls For David Ayer’s Suicide Squad Release

Peacemaker (John Cena) on The Suicide Squad poster

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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:

It's in a company's best interest to listen to their audience. If it's in demand and they've got it, why not?

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.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.