Months after being fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 by Disney, it looks like filmmaker James Gunn is swapping the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the DC Extended Universe.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Gunn has closed a deal with Warner Bros. and DC Films to write the supervillain team-up sequel Suicide Squad 2, and may also direct the movie. However, a final decision won’t be made until he turns in his script.
Meanwhile, THR reporter Borys Kit is claiming that the movie will not be a sequel to David Ayer’s 2016 film, but rather “a whole new take” which may or may not involve recastings…
Being told that Gunn's SUICIDE SQUAD will not be a sequel, he will have a whole new take on it. But whether that means a total recasting or not is unclear.
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) October 9, 2018
The news is certainly surprising given that Gavin O’Connor (The Accountant) has been attached to direct since last year, and just last month co-writer Todd Stashwick confirmed that the screenplay was complete and ready to go.
Suicide Squad 2 was originally slated to begin production this year, but Warner Bros. opted instead to move ahead with a different Harley Quinn project in Birds of Prey, which is gearing up to start shooting in January. Presumably, the decision has now been made to take the sequel in a different direction.
Disney received an enormous amount of criticism for its decision to fire Gunn from Guardians Vol. 3 owing to historic tweets where he made tasteless jokes about rape and paedophilia. However, dispute support from his cast members and a petition that attracted over quarter of a million signatures, Disney held firm with its decision (although apparently his script will still be used).
What are your thoughts on this report? Are you keen to see Gunn’s take on Suicide Squad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
Originally published October 9, 2018. Updated October 10, 2018.
