Writer and director James Gunn confirmed that The Suicide Squad is part of the DC Extended Universe -- but it won't have direct ties to any of the previous films.When asked if it was necessary to see the first Suicide Squad film in order to get the most out of the new movie, Gunn replied, "No need to have seen any other movie to understand The Suicide Squad." A fan then replied, "Not DCEU" followed by a crying emoji, but Gun responded saying, "It is DCEU but it's a self-enclosed story in the DCEU."
The exact placement of Gunn's film in the DCEU has been a question for many fans. While it brings back numerous actors/characters from the 2016 movie, it's been discussed and marketed as more of a reboot than a direct sequel. Gunn even considered making his Suicide Squad a standalone film, akin to Joker. In the end, however, he loved the cast too much to reset things completely.
"The truth is that David Ayer did a remarkable job, both working with and casting a few of these actors," Gunn recently said. "I love the character of Harley Quinn. I do not think that there is an actor alive that can do a better job than Margot Robbie... I definitely considered just doing a Joker [type movie] with it, but I liked the idea of using some of these fantastic talents that were in the first movie and moving ahead with them. I love Joel [Kinnaman]. I love Viola [Davis]. I mean, who's better than that? And Jai [Courtney]. I love all of those actors, so I wanted to work with them."
While David Ayer's Suicide Squad -- or at least the version that made it to theaters -- was slammed by critics and many fans and failed to impress at the box office, Gunn's movie is being praised nearly across the board. Though its dual release in theaters and on HBO Max could affect the amount of money it brings in, it seems like it's already more of a success than its predecessor.
The Suicide Squad, written and directed by James Gunn, arrives in theaters and on HBO Max Aug. 6.
Source: Twitter