Suicide Squad director David Ayer recently declared he’s “done with DC.”
David Ayer speaking at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con International, for “Suicide Squad”, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Ayer made the pronouncement on X after being asked if he would be interested in taking one a new project underneath James Gunn as part of his DC Universe.
He posted, “I’m done with DC.”
I’m done with DC. https://t.co/Qnzh8jSO1G
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) January 3, 2024
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Ayer had previously detailed last summer that his version of Suicide Squad, colloquially called the Ayer Cut, would eventually be released.
He shared on X, “All I know is my unseen film plays much better than the studio release. The interest in my cut being show[n] seems real and organic. And [DC Studios CEO James] Gunn told me it would have its time to be shared. He absolutely deserved to launch his DC universe without more drama about old projects.”
“In a way I’m chained to this thing,” Ayer added. “I’m riding a tiger here and navigating this situation the best I can. Life is a very strange journey.”
What’s your advice on how to navigate this situation with grace? There’s a genuine curiosity and interest from a lot of people. And I’m aware of there is another group of people that have fun mocking the film. Your comment is a perfect example of how many are magnetically drawn… https://t.co/QZTZGUInAS
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) August 7, 2023
In September, Ayer appeared on Jon Bernthal’s podcast and shared how the Suicide Squad film broke him.
He said, “Hollywood — I tell people — is like watching someone you love get f***ed by someone you hate.”
“The big one is Suicide Squad. That s**t broke me. That handed me my ass.”
@realonesjonbernthal David Ayer talks about his experience on Suicide Squad #jonbernthal #dceu #warnerbros #margotrobbie #willsmith ♬ original sound – Real Ones with Jon Bernthal
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He then explained, “Come right off Fury, right? I had the town in my hand — could’ve done anything, and I did do anything. And [I] go on this journey with [Suicide Squad]. And the same thing — authentic, truthful, let’s do all the rehearsal, let’s really get in each other’s souls. Let’s create this amazing, collaborative thing, right? And then Deadpool opened, right?”
“They never tested Batman v. Superman, so they were expecting a different result, and then they got hammered by all the critics,” he elaborated. “Then it’s like, ‘Okay, we’re going to turn David Ayer’s dark, soulful movie into a f***ing comedy now.”
While Ayer is done with DC, he’s not done with Hollywood. He’s teaming up with Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham to adapt former DC Comics writer Chuck Dixon’s first Levon Cade novel, Levon’s Trade.
The film was announced back in October with Deadline reporting the film “will chart how Levon Cade left his ‘profession’ behind him to go ‘straight’ and work in construction. He wants to live a simple life and be a good father to his daughter. But when his boss’s teenage daughter Jenny vanishes, he’s called upon to re-employ the skills that made him a legendary figure in the shadowy world of black ops. His hunt for the missing college student takes him deep into the heart of a sinister criminal conspiracy creating a chain reaction that will threaten his new way of life.”
Levon’s Trade (2021), Rough Edge Press
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Dixon previously explained to Bounding Into Comics that Stallone’s script adaptation is faithful to his novel, “Sly’s been talking about doing Levon Cade as either a feature or a series for years. Covid and the strikes interfered with getting the project started.”
He added, “His adaptation of the novel is remarkably faithful, which is flattering. Sly’s opened up the action a bit for the movie but it’s still very much my story and my characters as written.”
Levon’s Night (2022), Rough Edge Press
Ayer spoke about the film to Collider telling the outlet, “I am doing Levon’s Trade. I’m going back to the UK and doing another movie with Jason [Statham] based on a series of books.”
He confirmed the plan is to begin shooting the film this spring, “Yeah, we’re gonna shoot in spring.”
There is also the hope that the film’s success allows both Ayer and Statham to adapt more of Dixon’s novels in the series, “Yeah, there’s a series. It’s Chuck Dixon. He did a series of 10 novels.” Dixon is still writing novels in the series, and there are currently 12 in print.
David Ayer speaking at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con International, for “Suicide Squad”, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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