Anna Daniels
Justice League is, in many ways, a unique case. Original director Zack Snyder had to leave the project mid-production to tend to a family tragedy. Joss Whedon stepped in to pick up the baton, and the rest is history. Ayer, on the other hand, actually got to see his project through. His are the only directorial fingerprints on the film, and though the final cut may not have met his expectations, that’s often the way the cookie crumbles in Hollywood. Like it or not, directors are employees when it comes to blockbuster tentpoles, and the studios who take on all the financial risk generally get to decide what version of a film ultimately sees the light of day. Sometimes, this results in substandard products like Suicide Squad. Other times, savvy creative executives at studios actually enhance their projects by curbing the creative excesses of overzealous talent. The four-and-a-half-hour Extended Edition of Return of the King might be satisfying to Tolkien enthusiasts, but it’s the theatrical cut that won the Oscar for Best Picture.
Industry watchers are likely going to be keeping a very close eye on this one. Warner has already waved the white flag once on Justice League. Once can be explained away as an exception, but twice is a pattern. If the studio gives in to fan demands and commissions a new cut of Suicide Squad for HBO Max, there may be no end to the leverage angry Twitter mobs feel they can exercise.
Meanwhile, James Gunn’s sequel/follow-up/soft-reboot The Suicide Squad is already in post-production, with Ayer not onboard in any capacity — yet another reason that an Ayer Cut of the first film feels unlikely.
Written by: Looper
