'Suicide Squad 2' Gains New Producer, Starts Production In Fall

It seems fans are a little bit closer to seeing the Suicide Squad return to the big screen.

The Suicide Squad sequel has reportedly brought on Michael De Luca to produce it according to Variety's sources, and it signifies a change in approach to previous films. Producers Charles Roven and Zack Snyder were responsible for overseeing multiple films, but De Luca will evidently just be responsible for Suicide Squad 2. Update: We've been informed that Charles Roven remains lead producer on the film, and Mike De Luca is joining him as a producer on the film.

There isn't much else known about the project, save for that Gavin O'Connor is writing and directing it. It is mentioned however that it is one of two DC properties beginning production next year, the other of which is the Zachary Levi starring Shazam! project. As for Suicide Squad 2, some of the cast is expected to reprise their roles.

One who is not returning is director David Ayer, though he is still at work on a DCEU project at the moment. That would be Gotham City Sirens, but in a recent interview, Ayer did admit Suicide Squad was extremely polarizing.

"It was sh*t Ayer told ET. "Yeah, it was sh*t reviews. I got my throat cut. [Laughs]. It was a super polarizing movie. Incredibly polarizing."

That polarizing nature didn't keep the film from being profitable for Warner Bros. Suicide Squad was created on a budget of $175 million, yet brought in over $325 million domestically. It did even better overseas, adding up to a worldwide total of over $746 million. Even if you factor in the cost of advertising, it still made a nice profit for the studio, and there's no way that Warner Bros. is going let a valuable property like that just sit there.

Much of the praise came as a result of the cast. Will Smith's Deadshot, Jay Hernandez's Diablo, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje's Killer Croc, Viola Davis' Amanda Waller, and of course Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn all received praise for their performances, and the hope is they will return for a sequel. There will also be many who hope Jared Leto's Joker makes a comeback too, as the first film was criticized for relegating the character to a bit part.

Suicide Squad 2 enjoys a 3.39 out of 5 on ComicBook.com's anticipation rankings, placing it at #27 on the list of upcoming projects. You can submit your own ranking here.

Suicide Squad 2 is expected to land in theaters on October 18, 2019.