Although comic book movies are essentially Hollywood's biggest blockbusters, it doesn't mean the films aren't without their flaws. The still budding DC Extended Universe has released three rather divisive movies, the most recent of which was David Ayer's bad guy team up Suicide Squad. While anticipation for Squad was an all-time high following an absolutely fantastic set of trailers, reshoots and poor editing resulted in the movie being a messy (but occasionally fun) romp that had quite a few opportunities for improvements. And while Ayer had previously maintained how proud he was of his movie, the director is now opening up about some of his missteps.
A DC fan recently reached out to David Ayer on Twitter, reassuring him that Suicide Squad was perfect just the way it was. Ayer responded to the fan, but actually admitted some major changes he'd make to the film if he could. He said,
Holy wow. Making the Joker the main villain would have resulted in many of Suicide Squad's follies being solved. Let's explore how this choice would have saved David Ayer's controversial DC film.
Most critics had a problem with Suicide Squad's plot and villain. Cara Delevingne's Enchantress served as a very vague villain who didn't appear to fit into the narrative of the movie. The character itself was very loosely explained, with her motivation being unclear for the majority of the film. She basically just wants to hang out with her brother and possibly destroy the world. While this was a device to bring the Squad onto the scene, the villain made for one of the weakest aspects of the film
But if The Joker was actually the target of the Task Force X in Suicide Squad things would be different. To start, Jared Leto's character would have received the proper screen time for such a DC icon. Rather than appearing every so often in an attempt to reunite with Harley, The Joker would have actually had a part in moving the overall plot forward. And considering how much work Leto did to transform into the character, I'm sure he would have appreciated it.
Further more, Harley and Joker's story would have been immensely more powerful and interesting. Because Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn would be put on the team being sent to take Joker down. This would have created a very interesting dynamic for Harley to struggle with, as she must seemingly fight her lover in order to avoid being killed by the implant device in her neck. Joker still could have gotten around to momentarily saving Harley, but the scene itself would have held more emotional weight.
Additionally, all of the other members of Task Force X would have their own thoughts on battling a fellow villain. Both Deadshot and Killer Croc hail from Gotham City, and presumably have some sort of working relationship with The Joker. But just like Harley, they'd have to swallow their pride and complete the mission in order to avoid being killed by Amanda Waller's implant.
While Suicide Squad is obviously far from perfect, it's actually quite reassuring that David Ayer is cognizant of his missteps. The DCEU is still truly in its infancy, so if directors are receptive to feedback, it means that the universe as a whole can continue to improve over the next few years. While the MCU still might be the victor critically, things may just change.
