Then the bottom fell out. Will Smith left due to scheduling conflicts (read: Aladdin and Bad Boys for Life ). O’Connor departed over creative differences. The project flatlined.
So when you hear "Suicide Squad 2," forget the Jared Leto cameos that never happened. Forget the studio memos. Remember Polka-Dot Man seeing his mom in every spot. Remember King Shark eating a whole guy and saying, "Yummy." Remember that sometimes, a sequel only works if you’re brave enough to kill the first one all over again. suicide.squad.2
And we didn’t. We got something better: a movie that was never meant to live—and then thrived by dying spectacularly. Then the bottom fell out
In the multiverse of Hollywood disasters and redemption arcs, no film has a more bizarre sequel story than Suicide Squad . To discuss Suicide Squad 2 is to discuss a schizophrenic artifact: because, technically, two movies exist that could claim that title. And their contrast tells us everything about the difference between a product and a vision. The Phantom Sequel: Suicide Squad 2 (2016–2019) Before James Gunn ever touched a tablet, Warner Bros. was desperately trying to reverse-engineer a sequel to David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad . That film—a jarring mashup of edgy music videos, studio-mandated reshoots, and Jared Leto’s method-acting nightmares—made $746 million but was critically savaged. The response? Greenlight Suicide Squad 2 immediately, but with a twist: hire Gavin O’Connor ( The Accountant , Warrior ) to make it “grittier and more grounded.” The project flatlined