James Gunn Says WB Offered Him “Basically Whatever” He Wanted

There are a lot of questions surrounding the future of the DC Comics cinematic franchises and what Warner Bros. Pictures has planned for these superhero characters. And while there have been questions about what’s going on with characters like Superman and Green Lantern, the studio has instead turned its focus toward a surprising sequel with The Suicide Squad helmed by director James Gunn. But this wasn’t a mandate from Hollywood executives; Gunn chose to reboot the concept with some characters from the original movie returning instead of taking on something else.

While answering fan questions on his Instagram Story feed, Gunn was asked if he was “offered another movie along with” The Suicide Squad when Warner Bros. approached him.

“I was basically offered whatever I wanted,” Gunn explained. “I most wanted to do Squad.”

Gunn’s offer from Warner Bros. came during the period in which he was fired from making Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 by Walt Disney Studios, just after he finished the script for the Marvel Studios film. But instead of working on that project, which was tentatively planned for a 2020 release date, the filmmaker was taken off the project for the following year as Disney dealt with the fallout of Gunn’s controversial jokes made on social media before his time in the franchise.

While Disney eventually reversed their stance, this decision did result in Warner Bros. coming in and scooping up Gunn to spearhead a new direction for the Suicide Squad after the first movie was poorly received. While it was a financial success, the star studded cast failed to resonate with audiences on par with the popular Marvel Studios movies.

So it makes sense that they would turn to the Guardians of the Galaxy director to help put them back on track. And Gunn has been vocal about his love of the original franchise. He also admitted that he’s having an amazing time making the movie.v

“They’re all challenging,” Gunn said in response to a fan question. “Super was physically brutal – so much movie and so little time to shoot it. [Guardians of the Galaxy] Vol. 1 was scary because I didn’t know if people would get the vibe. [Guardians of the Galaxy] Vol. 2 was the hardest because of my mental state. [The Suicide] Squad is the most complex and biggest but also the most fun so far. So I guess overall Vol. 2.”

The Suicide Squad is currently set to premiere in theaters on August 6, 2021.