There may not be any official plans at this time at Warner Bros. to release the “Ayer Cut,” but one Suicide Squad star is hoping that it happens. Famously, or perhaps infamously, Leto was featured briefly as the Joker in the original Suicide Squad movie directed by David Ayer in 2016. The movie was widely criticized upon its release, and like Justice League, Ayer insists this is because his original cut was drastically altered at the request of the studio.
Fast forward to 2021, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League becomes a smash hit for HBO Max. The four-hour Justice League cut, which included some new footage but mostly consisted of unused material from the previous movie, was much better received than Justice League was in theaters. With Ayer’s claims that his original Suicide Squad is superior to the theatrical version, both the filmmaker and his fans have been urging for Warner Bros. to “release the Ayer Cut.”
Jared Leto has now personally weighed in on the extended Suicide Squad cut, which would include much more footage of the actor in character as the Joker. While promoting House of Gucci, Leto was asked by Variety if they should release the Ayer Cut. For his part, Leto sees no reason not to put the alternate cut out, suggesting that it’s perfect for streaming services like HBO Max. As the actor said:
Tweeting the clip of Leto’s response, David Ayer added, “Exactly what streaming is for. If you own IP and you have a mandate to monetize it from your shareholders that’s exactly what you do.”
After Zack Snyder’s Justice League was released, it was reported that Warner Bros. would not be pursuing the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad, nor would they be working with Snyder on any additional projects. Back in the summer, Ayer penned a statement released online detailing his thoughts on the matter. He insisted once again that his cut was far different and much better than what we got.
“I put my life into Suicide Squad. I made something amazing,” Ayer said. “My cut is intricate and emotional journey with some ‘bad people’ who are sh-t on and discarded (a theme that resonates in my soul). The studio cut is not my movie. Read that again. And my cut is not the 10 week director’s cut - It’s a fully mature edit by Lee Smith standing on the incredible work by John Gilroy. It’s all Steven Price’s brilliant score, with not a single radio song in the whole thing. It has traditional character arcs, amazing performances, a solid 3rd Act resolution. A handful of people have seen it. If someone says they have seen it, they haven’t.”
Addressing James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, Ayer added, “I’m so proud of James and excited for the success that’s coming. I support WB and am thrilled the franchise is getting the legs it needs. I’m rooting for everyone, the cast, the crew. Every movie is a miracle. And James’ brilliant work will be the miracles of miracles. I appreciate your patience. I will no longer speak publicly on this matter."
There hasn’t been any movement on the studio side about moving forward with the Ayer Cut, but that hasn’t stopped the fans from continuing their efforts to make it happen. Time will tell if it ever does. This news comes to us from Variety.
