It’s safe to say that everyone involved with “Suicide Squad” had wished things had been done a bit differently. Warner Bros. probably wishes they had given writer/director David Ayer more than six weeks to write the script before rushing the picture in front of cameras, and then both parties probably wish they had a unified vision for the movie before filming began, to avoid the warring edits in post-production, and the hasty reshoots to try and fix the problems. Through it all, Ayer has maintained that like it or lump it, “Suicide Squad” is what we wanted to accomplish. But that doesn’t mean he can’t recognize its (many) flaws.
The director, perhaps feeling ruminative, recently answered a fan’s tweet with a lengthy diary entry/look back at “Suicide Squad” in which he acknowledges the strong “hate game” for the movie, and owns up to things he would do different in hindsight. Here’s an excerpt of what he had to say:
Wish I had a time machine. I’d make Joker the main villain and engineer a more grounded story. I have to take the good and bad and learn from it. love making movies and I love DC [Comics]. I’m a high school dropout and used to paint houses for a living. I’m lucky to have the job I have. I have to give the characters the stories and plots they deserve. Real talk.
Ayer also adds that despite Jared Leto talking up an entire other movie that could be made from leftover Joker scenes, there are no extra reams of footage just sitting around.
Check out Ayer’s full comments below, and let’s hope he’s learned all the right lessons before he dives into “Gotham City Sirens.”
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) January 21, 2017
