David Ayer Has Given Up On DC And His Director's Cut Of Suicide Squad

David Ayer's 2016 DC Comics film "Suicide Squad" is a horrendous mess. It started with an interesting enough premise — imprisoned supervillains are teamed up and forced to perform morally dubious acts of heroism in exchange for lighter sentences — but the story wasn't clear and the editing was atrocious. Many were keen to see Will Smith play the supervillain Deadshot, while others were fond of Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, but few were pleased with Ayer's vision of the Joker (Jared Leto) — an updated, tattooed fiend who resembled Ninja from Die Antwoord more than he did any of the previous comic book iterations of the character.

The editing process for "Suicide Squad" was notoriously hellish. The film's first editor, John Gilroy, left the project early on and had to pass editing duties to the uncredited Oscar winner Lee Smith (who cut several of Christopher Nolan's movies). Infamously, Warner Bros. also hired a trailer editing firm to work on a cut of "Suicide Squad" to make the film look more energetic and zany. After the edits, the studio then wanted a "happy medium" between Smith's cut and its own, so new scenes were written and shot. The film was altered drastically, and the final theatrical release was a far cry from what Ayer had initially made.

Even a casual viewer can see the turmoil on screen. The editing is all over the place and the pacing is terrible. Characters are introduced several times. It's quite bad. After Zack Snyder was famously granted the opportunity to make an extended cut of his notoriously re-shot "Justice League," some fans felt that Ayer also deserved a similar chance. #ReleaseTheAyerCut became a rallying cry on Twitter/X.

On Twitter/X, however, Ayer recently declared that he was done with DC. The fight seemingly isn't worth fighting anymore.

Ayer is likely just as bored of the DC Extended Universe movies as the rest of the world. Indeed, filmmaker James Gunn already wrote and directed a sequel-cum-make-good follow-up film in 2021 called "The Suicide Squad," which also featured Robbie as Harley Quinn but replaced most of the other characters. That film, while at least visually clearer and better edited, was a commercial flop (even if it was better reviewed than its predecessor). Harley Quinn also starred in her own movie the year before, "Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)." But while that flick has a small group of passionate fans, it was also considered a box office disappointment. Perhaps studios overestimated the world's interest in Harley Quinn as a film character.

For a long time, Ayer petitioned for his cut to be seen by the world. He Tweeted an essay back in July of 2021, writing that the studio cut of "Suicide Squad" "wasn't my movie" and that he would continue to fight to get his 147-minute version cut by Lee Smith in front of audience's eyeballs. He liked Gunn's film; it wasn't about wresting franchise control from other filmmakers. He just felt very closely connected to his version of "Suicide Squad" and felt that he should be heard.

He has since changed his mind.

An article in IGN noted that Ayer clarified his stance openly, rejecting any fan petitions to return to his old movie. When a fan asked if he would want to release his movie given the chance, he replied:

"Nope. Done and done. Very sad. You'll be fine after a good cry. I feel healthier. It's a wound that needs to heal."

With Gunn rebooting the DC Comics film series, the world has moved on.

The release of "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" in December 2023 marked the end of the DCEU continuity that had begun a decade ago with Snyder's "Man of Steel." Starting in 2025, Gunn intends to release a film called "Superman: Legacy," which will launch an all-new continuity. This will be in addition to "Joker: Folie à Deux" and "The Batman 2," which take place in their own private universes. Keeping the old DCEU continuity around, even as an artistic exercise, would only further muddy already muddied waters.

Ayer isn't happy about leaving "Suicide Squad" behind, but he's definitely ready to do so. As he put it:

"Nothing about the situation feels good. [...] [The] studio has no interest in releasing it. It's time to run and not look back."

Given that Snyder's elongated "Justice League" cost so much, and was only released on Max, probably made Warner Bros. skittish. The studio is also currently undergoing a destructive fire sale in an attempt to save money and unload its assets to the detriment of everyone. There is no room for a director's cut of "Suicide Squad" in that environment. Ayer added that fans can stop raising money for him. "Don't need to be walking around with a begging bowl," he posted. "Gonna protect my heart more moving forward."

Since "Suicide Squad," Ayer has directed "Bright" and "The Tax Collector." His newest film, "The Beekeeper," is due in theaters on January 12, 2024.