After David Ayer’s opener generated more publicity for what happened behind the scenes as opposed to the events that unfolded on the screen, becoming the worst-reviewed entry in DCEU history and having stayed that way for the last five summers, The Suicide Squad hardly seemed like the sort of property that would become an ongoing series.
It made close to $750 million at the box office, though, and perhaps all that was needed was a fresh coat of paint. Warner Bros. and DC Films definitely got that with James Gunn, who brought back a handful of characters but never referenced Ayer’s movie at all, leaving him free to tell whatever kind of story he wanted.
That story was incredibly R-rated in nature, with the opening scene alone more violent and gory than the previous nine installments in the DCEU combined, but The Suicide Squad also boasts plenty of heart. It’s easy to see how Gunn could be enticed back for more, when there are so many underutilized or little known comic book villains that can be drafted in and turned into instant cult favorites like King Shark, Ratcatcher 2 and Polka Dot Man to name but three.
In a new interview, the Guardians of the Galaxy director teased that he isn’t done playing with DC’s villains just yet, which is great news for fans who couldn’t get enough of what he brought to the table in The Suicide Squad.
“I have all sorts of ideas, and we talk about it all the time. So I don’t feel like I’m done with this villain-verse yet.”
While The Suicide Squad might not actually turn a profit at the box office given its sizeable budget and the lingering effects of the pandemic, the response has been strong enough to make it clear to WB that audiences are ready for more, and Gunn’s schedule is clear once he wraps Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.