James Gunn has been back in the news recently – but not because of Suicide Squad 2. The writer-director was rehired by Disney to helm Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy threequel. But DC Comics fans were left wondering what this meant for his adaptation of Suicide Squad 2.
Will James Gunn still direct Suicide Squad 2?
Yes, his return to the mouse-house has no impact on Gunn’s work on Suicide Squad 2.
Is Suicide Squad 2 a sequel or a reboot?
The moniker for the sequel is misleading, as the next Suicide Squad movie is not a direct sequel.
Speaking to JoBlo writer Paul Shirey, DC Comics producer Peter Safran said: “First of all, we don’t call it Suicide Squad 2 ‘cause it’s a total reboot, so it’s The Suicide Squad and I think people should be extremely excited about it.
“It’s everything you would hope from a James Gunn script and I think that says a lot and that promises a lot and I know that we will deliver a lot.”
As for any conflict with Marvel and Warner Bros, Safran dashed those doubts.
He said: “It was all handled incredibly elegantly and everybody knows on both sides that Suicide Squad is the priority today and he’ll finish that movie and then everybody knows that his next film will be Guardians.
“It’s the best of all possible both worlds, I think, for fans and for James Gunn himself.”
Many think The Suicide Squad will see Gunn killing off most of the original Suicide Squad cast.
After all, the first Suicide Squad movie was a general let down for fans.
The critics’ consensus for 2016’s Suicide Squad reads: “Suicide Squad boasts a talented cast and a little more humour than previous DCEU efforts, but they aren’t enough to save the disappointing end result from a muddled plot, thinly written characters, and choppy directing.”
So far, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto are reported returning as Harley Quinn and the Joker respectively.
Joel Kinnaman told The Hollywood Reporter he expects to reprise his role as government agent Rick Flag.
But if rumours surrounding Gunn’s reboot are true, they may only appear for a moment before being killed off.
There are few details known about The Suicide Squad save for the above.
Deadline reported Gunn is looking to start production on the reboot in Atlanta, Georgia in September 2019.
The Suicide Squad will be out in cinemas on August 6, 2021.