The DC Extended Universe has had a wild ride in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. While Warner Bros. has hit its stride with the release of projects like Shazam! and Aquaman, there were plenty of bumps in the road. DCEU's earliest stages contained some missteps, especially Justice League and Suicide Squad. The latter project was helmed by David Ayer, although he's been open about studio interference and the myriad concepts that were left on the cutting room floor. But now the Bright director has actually shared one specific victory he had during this process.
Suicide Squad had a ton going for it before its release. David Ayer assembled a strong cast of actors to occupy the world, and the film's first Queen-infused trailer really resonated with audiences. Unfortunately, much of Ayer's vision never saw the light of day, especially scenes with Jared Leto's Joker. But Ayer recently revealed a fight that he managed to win on the movie: El Diablo's backstory. As he shared on social media,
Well, that's fascinating. Aside from Harley Quinn and Deadshot, Jay Hernandez's El Diablo was the heart of Suicide Squad. The little-known villain immediately captured our hearts due to his pacifist attitude and awesome pyrokinetic powers. But its the character's tragic backstory that really helped to endear him to audiences, a plot point which David Ayer really went to bat for.
David Ayer's comments about Suicide Squad come from his personal Twitter, which he often uses to speak directly to fans-- especially regarding his ill-fated 2016 DC blockbuster. While he's been open about his complaints in the years since Suicide Squad hit theaters, it's less often that Ayer shares happy memories from the movie. Specifically, how he championed El Diablo's character and brought one of the movie's most powerful sequences to life.
About 3/4 of the way through The Suicide Squad, the group of villains help themselves to a round of drinks in the middle of their mission. It's during this scene that El Diablo doesn't have full control over his powers, especially when his emotions are concerned. Because during a heated argument in his home, he accidentally killed his wife and children in an explosion of fire.
You can check out the sequence that David Ayer fought for (and won) below.
This sequence fleshes out El Diablo in way most of Suicide Squad's characters never get the chance to be. And it makes his sacrifice in the film's final battle all the power powerful. He seemingly perishes in order to help the rest of Task Force X defeat Enchantress, although some fans hoped he might be resurrected like a phoenix from the ashes.
It's unclear if we'll ever see El Diablo in the DCEU again, although Jay Hernandez isn't listed on the cast for James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. It's possible we may have seen the last of him, although some of the other characters will appear in the upcoming sequel/reboot. Namely Harley Quinn, Amanda Waller, Captain Boomerang, and Rick Flag.
The Suicide Squad is currently set to hit theaters on August 6th, 2021 and the next installment in the DCEU will be Wonder Woman 1984 on August 14th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
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