After confirming that there is indeed a director’s cut for Suicide Squad, David Ayer further stated that the release of that version would be a cathartic experience for the filmmaker.
Ayer had directed the star-studded supervillain movie Suicide Squad, which was released in 2016 (and not this one) and went on to become a global box office hit, earning more than US$740 million [AU$1.1 billion] to become the tenth highest-grossing movie of that year.
But as it turned out, it appears that many changes were made to the film, which transformed the movie into something no longer close to Ayer’s intended vision.
Four years later, the American director has since disclosed that a so-called Ayer cut does exist for Suicide Squad, and then more recently posted on this official Twitter page that this cut would be easy to complete.
This is a good question. My cut would be easy to complete. It would be incredibly cathartic for me. It’s exhausting getting your ass kicked for a film that got the Edward Scissorhands treatment. The film I made has never been seen. https://t.co/FkeHAlNoV0
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) May 25, 2020
What to expect from the Ayer cut
While it is true that Suicide Squad became a worldwide hit after it landed on theaters in 2016, the movie had met mixed reviews upon its release.
In the following years after it was shown in cinemas, various reports surfaced that the production of the movie was rife with interference from Warner Bros, which introduced some edits that significantly changed the storytelling from Ayer’s original version.
For instance, Ayer had intended to give the Joker, played by Oscar winner Jared Leto, more screen time in Suicide Squad.
But the final version only devoted limited time to Batman’s greatest nemesis, which also irked some moviegoers who expected the movie to feature more of the iconic villain.
On top of that, Ayer had wanted a more prominent and meatier role for Harley Quinn, portrayed to great effect by Academy Award nominee Margot Robbie, and had planned his film to have a more direct connection to Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which came out a year after Suicide Squad.
Director’s cut trend for DC movies?
Speaking of Justice League, the 2017 superhero movie has hit headlines lately with the news that a “Snyder Cut” version of the film will be released on HBO Max next year.
Months before Justice League was released three years ago, director Snyder had famously stepped down during the post-production stage after the death of his daughter, Autumn.
Josh Whedon, the director of 2012’s The Avengers, took over post-production, including re-shooting some key scenes for the movie.
#ReleaseTheSnyderCut. Only on HBO Max 2021. @ZackSnyder https://t.co/cfXCK1B6pA pic.twitter.com/hqeA9i7tTL
— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 20, 2020
Before he stepped down, Snyder had finished a four-hour-long version of the Justice League but was told to deliver a two-hour cut to Warner Bros instead.
Due to his family tragedy, Snyder never got to complete his two-hour version. Well, that is until this year.
As for Ayer, will he similarly get another chance just as Snyder did? The director says that ultimately it’s not his call to make. Although, even if the Ayer cut of Suicide Squad does not get released at all, he can still live with that.
The other question is: Can fans live with knowing that there exists a version of Suicide Squad that’s closer to the director’s vision and they may never see it?
Featured image courtesy of Serge Kutuzov/Unsplash