It's no secret that comic book movies are everywhere, with multiple cinematic universes regularly putting out new releases. But the moviemaking world is a fluid one, with plenty of unexpected changes, delays, and title changes happening along the way. Disney recently updated its release schedule and revealed that The Eternals was now simply named Eternals and would be hitting theaters February 12th, 2021. And The Suicide Squad director James Gunn had an A+ response to this subtle title edit.
James Gunn knows a thing or two about small changes in titles. After all his DC debut The Suicide Squad is a soft reboot of David Ayer's 2017 movie titled Suicide Squad. Gunn knows how much a "the" can do, and took to social media with a delightful response to Eternals' new title. As the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker joked,
As always, James Gunn's social media game is on point. Because as Marvel announced changes to Chloé Zhao's highly anticipated blockbuster Eternals, the director/writer was sure to poke fun at himself in the process. Maybe that Marvel and DC rivalry will end after all.
James Gunn's above quip comes from his personal Twitter account. Gunn is extremely active on social media, often updating fans and answering questions about The Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.. Both are highly anticipated blockbusters, but fans will be treated to the filmmaker's DC debut before he finishes the Guardians trilogy for Marvel.
Fans were recently treated to the first footage and full cast list for The Suicide Squad, thanks to an epic sizzle reel presented at the virtual DC Fandome event. Clearly James Gunn's vision is quite unique and different from David Ayer's original blockbuster. While their titles may be only off by one small word, but it's clear that the two DC films aren't intimately connected.
Of course, James Gunn is utilizing a handful of returning faces for his DC Extended Universe debut. Margot Robbie will make her third appearance as Harley Quinn in The Suicide Squad, alongside familiar faces Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, and Jai Courtney. But Gunn also assembled a massive cast of newcomers, featuring household names like Idris Elba and John Cena.
Much of The Suicide Squad's plot remains a total mystery, although James Gunn teased this was the biggest and most fun project to date. Smart money says that not all of the ensemble cast will make it out alive, therefore making the movie's title (including "the") all the more appropriate. It'll also be interesting to see which members of Task Force X survive, and if they have legs in the greater DCEU. As for Harley Quinn, we all know she's not going anywhere.
As for Eternals, Chloé Zhao's cosmic blockbuster was pushed back a number of months, with Black Widow taking its original November release date in order to start Phase Four of the MCU in the proper order. The movie has been teased as a massive story featuring the shared universe's most diverse cast of actors yet.
The Suicide Squad is currently expected to arrive in theaters on August 6th, 2021, while Eternals will arrive earlier on February 12th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
