The DC Extended Universe has plenty of wild twists during its years on the big screen, including shakeups behind the scenes. That includes some projects that were influenced by the studio such as Justice League and Suicide Squad. The latter was helmed by the filmmaker David Ayer, who has been honest about his vision for the DC flick being altered. And the director recently explained how Jared Leto’s Joker was changed in the theatrical cut.
In the years since the 2016 movie was released, some fans have been hoping an upcoming DC movie might be the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad. That titular filmmaker occasionally shows his interest, while lamenting about certain plot lines like the handling of Jared Leto’s Joker. Both fans and critics took umbrage with that villain, who seemed more of an afterthought in the theatrical cut. David Ayer tweeted out a response to fans asking about his version of the movie, sharing:
Joker is formidable, intense, and a force of nature in my cut. Not unfocused and silly. In my cut he has a story arc that hangs powerfully over the entire film. In the studio cut he's a prop, not a character.
Honestly, sign me up. Jared Leto definitely has the acting chops to pull of the Clown Prince of Crime, but his part in Suicide Squad failed to resonate with audiencs and critics alike. And it seems to be one of Ayer’s biggest issues with the way the blockbuster was edited and ultimately released back in 2016.
The cast of Suicide Squad included some well-known names, including Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Viola Davis. Jared Leto had already won an Oscar at that point, and seemed to have the pedigree to bring Joker to life following iconic runs like Heath Ledger and Mark Hamill. But in the end he failed to meet expectations.
In the theatrical cut of Suicide Squad, Joker plays a strange role. Rather than being involved in the main story, he pops in and out seemingly at random while attempting to reunite with Harley Quinn. But that wasn’t always the case, and Ayer maintains he was a fully formed character in his version of the project.
After Zack Snyder’s Justice League became a reality by Warner Bros. fans immediately began campaigning for Suicide Squad to get the Ayer Cut. But it doesn’t sound like the studio has any plans to make this happen, especially with the budget that Ayer would likely need to complete his take on the project. And with a new shared universe being formed co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, this seems all the more unlikely.
The final installment in the DCEU is Aquaman 2 on December 20th. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
