Suicide Squad director boosts hopes for Ayer Cut

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad
(Image credit: Warner Bros./DC)

Suicide Squad director David Ayer has boosted hopes for the Ayer Cut's release, as it seems James Gunn is onboard with releasing it eventually. 

Ayer maintains that the theatrical version of Suicide Squad was "ripped to pieces" and has said before that his director's cut would feature "terrifying" scenes of Jared Leto's Joker. After posting a picture of Leto's take on the Clown Prince of Crime, the director then addressed hopes for the Ayer Cut's release once more. 

"What's your advice on how to navigate this situation with grace? There's a genuine curiosity and interest from a lot of people," he wrote on Twitter in response to a fan. "And I'm aware of there is another group of people that have fun mocking the film. Your comment is a perfect example of how many are magnetically drawn [to] discussion to the 2016 film in a negative way. Have you ever had an experience in life that didn't [turn out] the way you wanted, that dragged you, that made you rethink everything? I have."

He added: "All I know is my unseen film plays much better than the studio release. The interest in my cut being shown seems real and organic. And Gunn told me it would have its time to be shared. He absolutely deserves to launch to launch his DC universe without more drama about old projects. In a way I'm chained to this thing. I'm riding a tiger here and navigating this situation the best I can. Life is a very strange journey."

It certainly sounds promising that Gunn, the co-CEO of DC Studios, believes the Ayer Cut has a time to be shared eventually. Gunn himself helmed The Suicide Squad, a sort-of-soft-reboot-sort-of-sequel to Ayer's 2016 film. 

And, of course, there is precedent for a DC director's cut finally seeing the light of day – Zack Snyder's Justice League was released in 2021 following a passionate fan campaign. 

We'll just have to wait and see if the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad is ever actually released. For now, next up on the DC release slate is Blue Beetle, which hits theaters this August 18. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows for everything else the studio has in store. 

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English. 

Read more
James Gunn
James Gunn's DC Studios puts several projects on the backburner, including Waller, The Authority, Booster Gold, and its Batman reboot
Superman
James Gunn cryptically suggests that the DCU is building towards a Superman and Batman crossover
James Gunn
James Gunn says he's busy writing his next DC Studios project, and fans think they've worked out what it is
Robert Pattinson in The Batman
Upcoming DC movies and TV shows: every DCU title coming soon
James Gunn
James Gunn reveals the characters he cut from Creature Commandos, including one of his favorite DC villains
Creature Commandos
James Gunn says his DC shows will likely stick to the "one episode a week" schedule moving forward: "It affords a quality show an opportunity to be discussed"
Latest in DC Movies
Colin Farrell wins Golden Globe for The Penguin
Penguin actor Colin Farrell could be going from villain to hero as the star of DC's Sgt. Rock movie
Ben Affleck in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The 32 greatest Ben Affleck movies
Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn on set of Joker 2
Lady Gaga jokingly celebrates Joker 2 reception and Razzie nominations: "Joke's on them. I love winning things"
Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
James Gunn reveals Jason Momoa text him about Lobo the day he was announced as DC Studios co-head
Batman and Catwoman talking
Robert Pattinson is hoping to team up with his The Batman co-star Zoe Kravitz on another project soon
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne in The Batman
Robert Pattinson worries he will be a "f*cking old Batman" by the time filming on The Batman 2 finally starts
Latest in News
Palworld
"We hit this disgusting number that makes me feel sick": Palworld devs don't know why their survival game was so successful - "If we knew how to do it, we'd do it again"
Palworld
Nintendo's Palworld lawsuit "came as a shock" to Pocketpair because patent infringement was "something that no one even considered"
Palworld screenshot showing a young woman with tied-back red hair petting her Pal, a large white and purple Xenogard
Palworld dev reckons "very few companies could survive" a launch like theirs: "A lot of companies might crumble under the threats, under the pressure, under the negativity"
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
For 30 years, PC gamers have been keeping this cult classic horror game based on a 58-year-old short story to themselves, but next week it's finally coming to consoles
Colin Farrell wins Golden Globe for The Penguin
Penguin actor Colin Farrell could be going from villain to hero as the star of DC's Sgt. Rock movie
A screenshot from No Man's Sky showing someone in a space suit stood amongst futuristic-looking architecture.
No Man's Sky programmer shares the "first 3D world" he co-created at 18 years old, which was "a foundational step for me from there to No Man's Sky"