A sequel to the first Suicide Squad was greenlit shortly after the first film's amazing success, but little has been said about it since. It wasn't even clear just how big a priority the sequel was for DC, but now comes word that Suicide Squad 2 is at least enough of an active concern that a script has been in development, and it appears that script, or at least an early draft of it, has been completed. According to co-writer Todd Stashwick...
We have finished our draft and I'm really proud of it... It's a sequel to the first film. Again, I can't say anything else. Our intention is to tell an exciting story, deepening these characters.
Todd Stashwick is co-writing the script with David Bar Katz, with Gavin O'Connor set to direct the sequel. While the sequel has no set release date, and thus we have no idea when we'll see the return of the Suicide Squad, it seems that the story the movie will tell is almost ready to go, which may mean the movie will be going into production sooner rather than later.
While the original Suicide Squad wasn't a massive hit with critics, it did remarkably well at the box office, largely probably due to the presence of Will Smith as Deadshot and Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, who has always been a fan favorite character. Robbie's character was so popular after the movie that Harley Quinn is now set to make several more DC movie universe appearances, so many that I've honestly lost track of which ones are still in active development or which one might hit screens first. Though the Birds of Prey film is currently casting, so that one is probably likely to hit first.
As far as what Suicide Squad 2 will be about, Todd Stashwick isn't talking. He simply tells Discussing Film that it's a sequel to the first because that's about the limit of what he's allowed to say. He does say the story is designed to deepen the characters, which is probably a good decision. With so many characters to balance the first movie did have trouble giving them all enough time to develop. Each was given a quick bio and a bit of backstory and then the story moved on. On the plus side, the fact that a couple characters didn't survive the first movie might give the others a bit of extra time in a sequel, assuming that the team doesn't get new members in the new movie, which is quite likely.
Personally, I'm hoping the sequel puts the Suicide Squad up against a group of villains with similar powers which has a more evil intent. That way, at some point in the movie, Will Smith can say "So, you're some kind of Suicide Squad too?"
