Suicide Squad was one of the many superhero movies that came out in 2016, and the marketing made it look like it would be a more unique tale from the genre. While commercially it performed excellently, taking in over $745 million worldwide, critically it followed in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's footsteps and earned a lot of negative reviews. Nevertheless, taking in those big bucks was enough for Warner Bros and DC to put a sequel into development, and now there's word that they want Mel Gibson to helm the next Suicide Squad movie.
According to THR, Warner Bros is "courting" Mel Gibson to direct Suicide Squad 2, but they're still in the early talks phase, so it's far from a done deal. Gibson is apparently familiarizing himself with the comic book source material, and while the studio is keen on working something out with him, they're still looking at other directors for the job, like Child 44's Daniel Espinosa. Whoever ends up being Suicide Squad 2's director, they would be succeeding David Ayer, who will sticking around the DC Extended Universe to helm Gotham City Sirens.
Mel Gibson has been a well-known Hollywood actor since the early 1980s, but when it comes strictly to directorial work, he's made quite a name for himself, with his credits including Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalytpo. While Gibson's reputation absent was damaged during the 2000s due to controversy surrounding his alcohol abuse and making anti-Semitic comments, his career has experienced a resurgence in recent years. Along with appearing in movies like The Expendables 3 and Blood Father, his latest directorial project, Hacksaw Ridge, earned great reviews and has been nominated for six Academy Awards. Directing Suicide Squad 2 would add more blockbuster fare to his resume.
It would actually be extremely ironic if Mel Gibson took the Suicide Squad 2 job considering that just a few months ago, he talked about how superhero movies baffled him and literally called Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice a "piece of shit." Sure, maybe he's been swayed since then, but unless Warner Bros has either discussed with him about how they want Suicide Squad 2 to be different than the usual fare or they're throwing a lot of money his way, it's hard to imagine him taking the job. But hey, anything's possible.
No plot details have been revealed for Suicide Squad 2 yet, but like its predecessor, it will follow a group of incarcerated super-villains who are sent on dangerous missions by the government in exchange for reduced sentences. It remains to be seen which of the still-alive members of the Squad will return and who the new members will be, but since the movie is reportedly being "fast-tracked," expect to see it sooner rather than later.
What do you think about Mel Gibson potentially directing Suicide Squad 2? Is he a good fit or should Warner Bros be looking elsewhere? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
