Ever since Zack Snyder was able to release his version of Justice League, Suicide Squad director David Ayer has also been campaigning for the release of his original take on Suicide Squad. We don’t know if James Gunn will ever make the “Ayer Cut” see the light of day, but Ayer is still at it online.
Just recently, he shared an image of Jared Leto’s Joker from development with “hahaha” eyebrow tattoos. Check this out:
🤹♂️ pic.twitter.com/8mUO8QbbQa
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) December 17, 2023
We don’t know if this version was ever supposed to be in the movie, but it could make sense in the timeline for Joker to have a different look depending on where we are in the story. What I really loved about the film is that it was a very original take on Joker, and based on what Ayer has been sharing about the character, audiences have yet to see Leto’s ‘real’ performance as the Clown Prince of Crime.
Joker is formidable intense and a force of nature in my cut. Not unfocused and silly. In my cut he has a story arc that hangs powerfully over the entire film.
In the studio cut he’s a prop not a character. https://t.co/RspbQWLZjV
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) December 17, 2023
It’s unclear exactly what happened behind the scenes, but Ayer’s Suicide Squad was said to have been heavily modified after WB heads panicked when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice got divisive reviews. Originally, the film was supposed to have a much darker, serious tone; but it was all changed to be more upbeat and funny to have more audience appeal. The closest thing we have to the cut is said to be the SDCC preview that came out back in 2016:
We don’t know if Gunn will eventually concede to having Ayer release his version, but I am always up for director’s releasing what they originally intended; just like what happened with Zack Snyder.
For now, DC is set to start their major reboot in 2025 with James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy.
