David Ayer's Triumph or Tragedy? An Actor's Desperate Plea Revealed About Suicide Squad

Highlights

Warner Bros secretly edited Suicide Squad, turning it into a comedy, due to the backlash from Batman v Superman and the success of Deadpool at the time.

Shia LaBeouf attempted to convince director David Ayer to reconsider his decision to direct Suicide Squad, expressing his dissatisfaction with Ayer's choice.

Ayer has openly expressed his wish for the release of the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad and advocates for greater creative autonomy in the film industry.

Suicide Squad director David Ayer disclosed to Jon Bernthal that their Fury colleague, Shia LaBeouf, had personally implored Ayer not to proceed with the DC movie. This encounter involved all three individuals.

It has been revealed that a similar situation unfolded with Suicide Squad as with Justice League. Warner Bros. went behind Ayer's back and conducted a secret second edit of the film after he had submitted his initial version. This involved reshoots by the studio and the handover of Ayer's project to a trailer editing company, rather than the original company. Ayer expressed that this edit drastically transformed the movie into a comedy, influenced by the negative response to Batman v Superman and the success of Deadpool.

During a candid conversation, Bernthal shares a memorable incident involving LaBeouf's discontent with Ayer's decision to direct Suicide Squad. While discussing Ayer's genuine version of the film, Bernthal recounts an encounter during the Fury press tour where Ayer met an actor for Suicide Squad at a hotel. Unfortunately for them, Bernthal and LaBeouf were seated nearby. LaBeouf, visibly agitated, abruptly stood up and expressed his frustration, questioning Ayer's choice to be involved in the movie and admonishing him for potentially wasting his talent. Ayer interjected, admitting that he should have heeded LaBeouf's advice. Bernthal acknowledges feeling uncomfortable witnessing LaBeouf's outburst, as he had developed respect for Ayer and Shia during their time working together on Fury.

Ayer later reflects that his experience with Warner Bros. and Suicide Squad taught him the importance of maintaining creative control over his own work. He becomes aware of the need to prevent others, such as WB and critics, from shaping narratives that solely serve their own interests. This realization is why he actively uses social media to advocate for the release of the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad, aligning himself with the fans who share his desire to see his original vision come to light.

Bernthal has observed the 'Release The Ayer Cut' hashtag on social media and inquired with Ayer about the possibility. Ayer recounted his conversation with James Gunn, the CEO of DC Studios, who mentioned that he would release Suicide Squad once he achieves certain accomplishments. However, with no DCU films scheduled for 2024, fans believe that it would be logical to release Ayer's Suicide Squad before Superman Legacy in 2025, in order to satisfy that particular fan base and rectify past mistakes before focusing on the future.

LaBeouf might have had Ayer's best interests in mind, considering his own experience with major franchise films such as Transformers and Indiana Jones. Unfortunately, LaBeouf was proven correct. Ayer regards Suicide Squad as his most significant disappointment in the film industry, but hopefully, the release of the Ayer Cut will allow the movie to be evaluated on the director's own terms.

Suicide Squad is available on MAX.

Source: REAL ONES with Jon Bernthal