You know how NFL coaches hate it when their star player signs with a division rival as a free agent, knowing they’ll be super motivated to play their former team? That may be a little bit of what Marvel is feeling right now as The Wrap reports fired Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is in talks to take over the Suicide Squad sequel.
This is pretty much what social media has been hoping for out of Gunn, isn’t it? He is now said to be in talks to write and possibly direct Suicide Squad 2, with Warner Bros. clearly hoping he can work the same magic that turned Marvel’s B-list bunch of a-holes into a billion dollar franchise. He’ll be given free rein to offer a “new take” on DC’s team of villains, which could mean a roster shakeup. Presumably the film’s biggest stars, Will Smith as Deadshot and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, will return for more. Here’s hoping he keeps around Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang, too.
It does sound like Gavin O’Connor is getting bumped off the project, though. He wrote the previous version of the script and was slotted to replace David Ayer as director, but seems to be out of the picture now.
Potentially huge news here as Gunn could be a game-changing filmmaker for the struggling DCEU. The first Suicide Squad seemed to be trying to ape the offbeat style Gunn captured with Guardians, but couldn’t quite match it. The film still went on to earn nearly $750M and become one of the DCEU’s most successful properties. With Gunn on board who knows how far he could take this.
