Suicide Squad had multiple cuts
Warning: The Following Contains Suicide Squad Spoilers!
Seeing how Batman v Superman had an extended director’s cut, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Suicide Squad also had more than one cut.
Inside sources informed The Hollywood Reporter that there were actually two cuts for the latest DC film. Director David Ayer’s version was much darker than what the studio wanted. Warner Bros. attempted to give the film a lighter tone, which caused the film’s budget to grow significantly. Once both cuts of the film received feedback, Ayer and the studio execs attempted to find “a very common-ground place.” The general consensus is that the final product is a mess, however.
The critical response to Suicide Squad hasn’t been very kind, although we actually enjoyed the film’s action, banter, and performances, most notably Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. While our review was positive on the whole, even we have to admit that Suicide Squad was far from perfect. As per usual, the film packed in one too many characters, resulting in the awkward pacing we’ve come to associate with this franchise. Watching the film, you can tell that this wasn’t one person’s vision.
Studio interference aside, Ayer wasn’t even the only director involved with Suicide Squad. Speaking with Collider, Ayer revealed that Zack Snyder directed the scene involving Ezra Miller’s The Flash and Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang. Snyder of course previously directed Batman v Superman, which also received mostly negative reviews from critics.
It’s hard to say what exactly is going wrong with these movies behind the scenes. Many argue that directors like Snyder and Ayer just don’t know what they’re doing. Others argue that the WB execs should stop interfering and give the filmmakers full creative control. Of course some have argued that the critics have just been too mean, resulting in a petition to shut down Rotten Tomatoes. In any case, one thing is still for certain: Arrowverse > DC Extended Universe.