Why the Original Suicide Squad 2 Director Quit

Suicide Squad 2 is getting a lot of attention after news came out that James Gunn might direct it, but originally, the film had Gavin O'Connor (Warrior) at the helm. O'Connor apparently quit the job, but what exactly happened behind the scenes?

According to Variety's Justin Kroll:

Though we don't really have a synopsis for both Birds of Prey and Suicide Squad 2, I guess it was pretty easy to have identical stories, granted that both are focused on ensembles comprised of people with special abilities.

With Birds of Prey moving forward, it looks like DC will need to rely on an entirely new script that hopefully Gunn will provide. You have to give Gunn credit, too. Before 2014, no one had any idea who the Guardians of the Galaxy were. Imagine what kind of film Gunn can bring with established characters like Harley Quinn and Deadshot?

Though the film had great aesthetics, the first Suicide Squad was a critical mess for the DCEU. The story was pretty standard, and a lot of great characters came out underutilized. Not to mention the soundtrack was everywhere—a possible side effect for hiring a company that does trailers mostly to do the editing. With Gunn doing such great work with characters, I hope he does great with Suicide Squad 2.

No release date has been set for the Suicide Squad sequel, but hopefully things can get running in time for a 2020 premiere.

See Also: James Gunn in Talks To Direct & Write Suicide Squad 2 For DC