Why David Ayer Doesn’t Regret His Work On Suicide Squad

Deadshot and Harley in Suicide Squad

The DC Extended Universe is a funny place. While each film is hotly debated and highly anticipated before its release, the quality hasn't been quite as consistent as the films at Marvel studios. One such movie is David Ayer's Suicide Squad, which came out in the summer of 2016. With a brilliant cast and a bonkers first trailer, many thought the villain-centric romp would be the DCEU's first critical success. But extensive reshoot and edits (plus an awful villain) resulted in a film that was a bit disjointed in its final product (sounds a bit like Justice League, no?). But Ayer recently revealed why he doesn't have any regrets about the project. When asked on Twitter if he regretted working on Suicide Squad, Ayer said:

Not for a second. Not for one second. I got to work with amazing people. It won an Oscar, did incredible business. Launched a franchise and spinoff. And like it or not it's halfway to cult status. I grew as a person, grew creatively. Warners took a chance on me. I'm grateful.

This statement comes to us from David Ayer's person Twitter, and he certainly makes a point. While critics weren't fond of Suicide Squad's final cut, the film did a great bit of world building for the DCEU, and the shared universe is greatly expanded because of it.

While it wasn't going to be nominated for any awards in regards to acting or directing, Suicide Squad did end up winning an Academy Award after its release. It's sole nomination Best Makeup and Hairstyling earned the flick a coveted trophy. And much like other critically divisive DCEU films like Batman v Superman, it was still able to make a ton of money in both domestic and international markets.

The success of Suicide Squad was also enough to warrant a sequel, although the DCEU hasn't announced when we should expect the project to actually hit theaters. Additionally, Margot Robbie's performance as Harley Quinn has been universally applauded, and she's set to reprise in a few films in the future. Robbie just revealed that a solo film was being developed, in addition to Gotham City Sirens and a film with Jared Leto's Joker. None of this would have been possible without David Ayer's work in the first movie, regardless of whether or not it's becoming the butt of certain jokes.

Suicide Squad was a major opportunity for David Ayer, and he'll continue working with the DC Extended Universe in the future. While Suicide Squad 2 is being written and directed by Gavin O'Connor, Ayer will be helming Gotham City Sirens. This will one again pair him with Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, and he'll also be able to introduce Poison Ivy and Catwoman to the shared universe.

David Ayer's Netflix movie Bright starring Will Smith will arrive on December 22, 2017. In the meantime, be sure to check our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.