David Ayer Reveals Warner Bros. Never Screened “Suicide Squad” Director’s Cut

In August 2016, hot on the heels of the Batman v Superman release, Suicide Squad hit theaters. Zack Snyder’s flick had a massive opening weekend, but a significant drop in the second weekend had Warner Bros. scrambling to make changes. The studio added vibrant graphics, catchy pop songs, and wrapped up with a “happy ending” instead of the darker original storyline that featured an abusive relationship between The Joker and Harley Quinn.

Enter the #ReleaseTheAyerCut movement. While it didn’t quite gain the same traction as #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, which worked its magic and led to Zack Snyder’s Justice League, there’s still a passionate fan base eager to see David Ayer’s true vision for Suicide Squad.

Despite Ayer teasing the idea that DC Studios and James Gunn might consider unveiling his cut, it seems like the window for that has closed. Many fans seem ready to move on from this era of the DCEU.

But Ayer is still speaking up about what went down. Just recently, he revealed that Warner Bros. never put his version of the film in front of a test audience before deciding to make changes. Ayer’s frustration is palpable, and it’s always a bummer when a filmmaker feels like they’ve been shortchanged by the studio bigwigs. Yet in this case, perhaps the bigger loss was Batgirl, which got scrapped during post-production. At least some version of Suicide Squad made it to the big screen.

Scott Eastwood, who played Lieutenant GQ Edwards in Suicide Squad, hinted at a potentially larger role in Ayer’s version. He shared his enthusiasm for Ayer’s work and his openness to exploring another superhero role if Ayer’s true cut of Suicide Squad emerges.

So, should DC Studios #ReleaseTheAyerCut of Suicide Squad, or is it time to move on and let the past be the past? The debate continues, but the desire from fans to see what Ayer originally intended is definitely there.