Writer-director James Gunn's new DC Extended Universe film The Suicide Squad pays tribute to none other than David Ayer, the writer and director of its spiritual predecessor, 2016's Suicide Squad.

As revealed by a post shared to the r/DC_Cinematic subreddit, Ayer receives a special thanks credit in The Suicide Squad. In fact, his name is the very first on the list (though this is likely for alphabetic reasons). The "special thanks" section is also apparently separate from the section of the credits listing the various comic book creators who had an impact on the film, which appears to include the likes of Thinker co-creator Patrick Zircher and Ratcatcher co-creator John Wagner.

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The third film in the DCEU, David Ayer's Suicide Squad released in theaters on Aug. 5, 2016. The film was as hit at the box office, though was met with mixed reception from audiences and critics alike. Strong performances from actors like Will Smith and Margot Robbie were praised, though the film's plot, characters and visuals were criticized.

Ayer has gone on-record stating that the theatrical cut of Suicide Squad greatly compromised his original vision for the film. After fans successfully lobbied for Warner Bros. to release Zack Snyder's director's cut of 2017's Justice League, a similar campaign was launched calling for the release of Ayer's director's cut of Suicide Squad -- though this campaign has remained unsuccessful thus far.

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Ayer recently penned an emotional statement chronicling his journey as a person and as a filmmaker, during which he effectively disowned the theatrical cut of Suicide Squad. That being said, he also voiced support for Warner Bros. and the new direction of the Suicide Squad franchise, as well as for Gunn himself.

Similarly, Gunn has expressed support for Ayer and his previous live-action take on the Suicide Squad, which is why Ayer getting a shoutout in the credits of Gunn's film shouldn't be too surprising. Moreover, while Gunn has always described The Suicide Squad as a hard reboot, it does feature a few cast members from Ayer's Suicide Squad reprising their roles -- namely Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang and the aforementioned Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.

RELATED: The Suicide Squad's Viola Davis Praises James Gunn's Work on the Film

Gunn's reboot also features a host of new cast members, including Idris Elba as Bloodsport, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2, Peter Capaldi as The Thinker, David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man and John Cena as Peacemaker, among many others. Cena is also slated to reprise his role in the Gunn-produced HBO Max series Peacemaker, which is slated to premiere early next year.

James Gunn's The Suicide Squad releases in theaters and on HBO Max on Aug. 6.

KEEP READING: REVIEW: The Suicide Squad Delivers a Pitch Perfect Balance of Wits, Guts & Tragedy

Source: Reddit