The DC live-action universe has had a fascinating life in theaters, with Warner Bros. shown to keep its cards close to the chest before revealing the plans for each new release. One of these surprising announcements was The Suicide Squad, a sequel to David Ayer's original villain-centric blockbuster. Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn will behind the camera for this one, featuring a mixture of new and returning characters. Jai Courtney will be back playing Flash villain Captain Boomerang, and recently spoke to the different tone Gunn will be taking with the franchise.
While the movie's title might leave something to be desired, The Suicide Squad is one of the most hotly anticipated upcoming DC releases. James Gunn has shown his ability to balance a quirky ensemble cast of comic book characters before, making the Guardians some of Marvel's most popular characters overnight. Jai Courtney recently teased how different Gunn's direction will be from David Ayer, saying:
I don’t think it’s going to be weird. It’s kind of funny that we’re getting it up to go again and there’s a bunch of new people and a bunch of old people, too. It’s going to be different, for sure, but I think everyone’s welcoming that challenge and welcoming the new energy in. I loved David, I loved working with David, I’d work with David again in a heartbeat. But Gunn, too, is quite prolific and really, obviously, does know what he’s doing. I’m excited to see what he brings to it. It’s going to be tonally different but very cool as well. The world has evolved from where we were at at that point; he’s going to have his own take on it, and it’s going to be great.
While Jai Courtney would be happy to work with David Ayer again, he certainly seems excited to be working with James Gunn. Gunn has become a household name through his work on the Guardians movies, which is one of the most unique superhero franchises of all time. Courtney calls the director's work "prolific", so let's hope that Captain Boomerang gets a fair shake in the upcoming The Suicide Squad.
Related: Jai Courtney Teases Captain Boomerang’s Return In The Suicide Squad
David Ayer's Suicide Squad had a killer trailer, which teased an over the top romp featuring plenty of DC villains. But the theatrical cut failed to truly connect with audiences, despite making money and even winning an Oscar for makeup. While Harley Quinn and Will Smith's Deadshot were standouts, most of the blockbuster's cast was kept on the sidelines. This includes Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang, who got a few one liners but failed to be truly fleshed out.
By comparison, James Gunn is skilled at balancing an ensemble cast. Each member of the Guardians of the Galaxy gets time to show their heart, in addition to the action and laughs that the movies bring. Gunn has assembled a great group of actors for his DC debut, so it should be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
All will be revealed when The Suicide Squad hits theaters on August 6, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
