Following getting the boot from Marvel by Disney, James Gunn is heading over to the direct competition with DC’s Suicide Squad 2.
It’s reported the former Guardians of the Galaxy director will write Suicide Squad 2, which is the sequel to the 2016 movie featuring DC’s group of motley villains who are forced to work for the government.
It’s also said James Gunn could direct the flick, but Warner Bros. has yet to start director talks with him, which depends on how things go (and probably how the news is received).
James Gunn’s take on Suicide Squad 2 should come as no surprise to fans of Guardians of the Galaxy as it’s said to be a brand new take on the DC property, which is basically what he did at Marvel with the characters.
The first Suicide Squad made over $746 million worldwide and featured Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jared Leto as the Joker, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Jay Hernandez as El Diablo, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller.
The week of the San Diego Comic-Con in July saw Disney fire James Gunn over tweets that resurfaced joking about pedophilia and rape, which caused a huge online controversy.
The cast of Guardians of the Galaxy backed James Gunn as did some fans, but Disney wouldn’t budge and stood by their decision to fire the director.
“The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him,” Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn said in a statement at the time.
James Gunn offered the following apology:
“My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative. I have regretted them for many years since — not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don’t reflect the person I am today or have been for some time.”
“Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now, beyond offering my sincere and heartfelt regret, is to be the best human being I can be: accepting, understanding, committed to equality, and far more thoughtful about my public statements and my obligations to our public discourse. To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies. Love to all.”
