Suicide Squad Director David Ayer’s Original Cut Rumored to Be Released

Earlier this month, the world of comic book movies got a pretty unprecedented update, when it was confirmed that Zack Snyder’s cut of Justice League will officially be headed to HBO Max. Fans were (understandably) pretty ecstatic about the news — and have begun to wonder what it could mean for nerd culture going forward. One movement that has popped up in recent weeks has been to have the “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad – which would be more in line with director David Ayer‘s original vision – get released. And according to recent rumors, that genuinely could be on its way to happening. A new report from DCEU Mythic suggests that Warner Bros. has begun discussing the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad at some point on HBO Max, similarly to how they are approaching Justice League.

The report outlines that it would be relatively easy to finish the cut, something that Ayer and those tied to the studio have recently hinted. Unlike Justice League – which changed drastically during reshoots after Snyder had to step away due to a family tragedy – Ayer’s initial cut of Suicide Squad got as far as the test screening phase, and was seemingly met with a good response from test audiences. The film was eventually recut into what was ultimately released in theaters, reportedly due to changes suggested by Warner Bros. executives.

“This cut of the movie is my cut. There’s no sort of parallel universe version of the movie, the released movie is my cut,” Ayer previously said in a 2016 interview. “And that’s one of the toughest things about writing, shooting, and directing a film, is you end up with these orphans and you f—king love them and you think they’d be amazing scenes and do these amazing things but the film is a dictatorship, not a democracy, and just because something’s cool and charismatic doesn’t mean it gets to survive in the final cut. The flow of the movie is the highest master.”

This certainly isn’t an official confirmation that the Ayer Cut is going to be released, but the fact that Warner Bros. is reportedly seriously considering it is certainly interesting. As Ayer has hinted on social media in the years since the film was released, his cut featured some wildly different character moments. These included a larger role for Jared Leto’s Joker, backstory for Slipknot, a wildly different ending for El Diablo, and a hookup between Harley Quinn and Deadshot.

Do you hope the “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad eventually becomes a reality? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!