We all know that Suicide Squad looked interesting from the trailers. From Jared Leto’s take on the Joker, to Margot Robbie’s wistfully psychotic Harley Quinn, and Ben Affleck’s Batman cameo, it looked as if it might offer something a bit different from usual superhero fare.
Then, famously, it got ripped to shreds in the edit after the studio tinkered. Ayer’s original version of the film was said to be completely different from the cut that landed in theaters, with the studio handing the final cut over to the company that put the trailers together. The third act, particularly, was said to be completely different. There was also more Joker.
Director David Ayer has been open and honest about his frustration with the whole thing. There was even a campaign to “release the Ayer cut” after the success of Zach Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max.
On social media over the last few days, a rumor started to circulate that the reason Warner Bros. panicked was due to test screening results being poor. According to Dark Horizons, Ayer has come straight out on X and completely dismissed this:
“Nope. Not true at all. I made a drama. Studio wanted a comedy. Madness ensued. My cut was never tested or screened for an audience.”
The chances of the Ayer cut ever being released seem to get slimmer with each year that passes. Despite the headwinds, Suicide Squad made nearly $800 million at the global box office. This means Warner Bros. probably don’t question their choices around the movie too deeply.