Now The Suicide Squad is released in the US, a week after the UK, it’s likely James Gunn will return once everything is done with Guardians 3. However, I believe Warner Bros (under their new merger with Discovery when pre-production begins) should create something new and different for comic book movies.
The characters are the only connection between David Ayer’s 2016 release (#ReleaseTheAyerCut) and Gunn’s. This is how it should stay within their DCEU, making the property of Suicide Squad an anthology.
It would give their hired filmmakers to make a Suicide Squad with complete freedom without being connected to anything in their universe unless needed and bringing back possible characters from the two movies.
So here are ten directors who could come in for Suicide Squad III.
Boots Riley
I will fully admit this is my proper left-field choice.
But I loved his film Sorry To Bother You when I saw it a couple of years ago at the London Film Festival and was amazed how fantastic, funny and bat shit mental it was and could imagine how he’d bring that to a film like this.
Because if you thought Gunn’s Squad was insane, then Riley will be that much crazier.
The only issue is, I can’t see any studio letting the filmmaker be himself and will probably stay in the world of Indies and creating his vision.
Martin Campbell
I know he’s had a bad experience with Green Lantern, but I think a grounded action-based superhero film, especially with the likes of the Bond franchise behind him as proof he can kick arse.
The New Zealander has rejuvenated 007 twice with Goldeneye and Casino Royale, which is regarded as one of if not the best James Bond films ever.
The downside is Campbell hasn’t done anything of substance since Daniel Craig’s debut outing in 2006. The hope he has is his next two features, The Asset and Memory, win critical response and a decent box office.
Reed Morano
I’m adding Morano because I believe she’s one film away from being a major filmmaker in Hollywood. In my eyes, she already is because she directed The Rhythm Section, a film I love, and Reed’s direction is a big part of it.
Especially portraying the chaos of a car chase and whenever there is an action scene.
The issue is The Rhythm Section is considered a box office flop (mainly down to Paramount’s marketing or lack of selling it to audiences), but that shouldn’t stop WB from getting a top talent of Morano’s potential.
Angela Robinson
I’m amazed Robinson hasn’t gotten more work following Professor Marston and the Wonder Women.
I saw this film at the London Film Festival and it was one of my favourites of that year. I loved how Robinson brought such character depth to all three main stars and it gripped me the whole time.
I still think she’d be better suited to a Gotham City Sirens and exploring the Harley/Ivy relationship, but why not do that in a squad flick.
Antoine Fuqua
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see this franchise not only have the writer of Training Day helming a Suicide Squad film but the director that shot them both into Hollywood stardom?
Throughout his career, Fuqua shows he can handles stories and action that are grounded and gritty, something I like from my superhero flicks and Suicide Squad are a broken army unit which is something I can see Fuqua really digging into and enjoying.
David Leitch
John Wick, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, Hobbs and Shaw, to name the films Leitch has helmed, are all fantastic successful Hollywood action films.
While action is a significant part of the former stuntman’s style, it always serves his character. I could see David spending time working on each character, giving them a different style showcasing who they are, being Harley Quinn or Red Hood, for example.
Gareth Evans
The man who brought a new breed of action film with The Raid films and was the showrunner for the brilliant Gangs of London. Evans was set to join the DCEU with a solo Deathstroke movie.
The film was pitched to the studio as a South Korean noir, and I could see it working for the assemble like this. Have it set in one location like The Raid with The Squad trapped in a hotel as they get their target and have to fight their way out to survive.
Cathy Yan
The fact Warner Bros haven’t announced a sequel or spin-off HBO Max series for either Black Canary or Huntress shows how much I love Birds of Prey.
This film was the first to showcase WB/DC’s new direction with Yan able to make a true standalone. Still, it connected to the first Suicide Squad with nods to Boomer in the GCPD, ending the Harley/Joker relationship and blowing up Ace Chemicals. Plus, the amusement park fight is fantastic!!
All that the filmmaker needs to do is do the same with BoP with the character depth and growth, team-bonding and bring that into Suicide Squad; we’re onto another winner.
Chris McKay
McKay would be someone I’d look towards to bring the feel of the comic book in the same way he discusses Nightwing.
He clearly has a deep-rooted love for DC Comics, and it’s just Nightwing but The LEGO Batman Movie. With The Tomorrow War, he made an assemble action film with heart and tackling different topics like muscularity.
LEGO Batman is about a man who finds a family and his Nightwing being a revenge story and growing up with a bad dad.
The filmmaker would also inject a lot of humour and team banter. I can see him adding a random character like Kite Man or even Condiment King.
Guy Ritchie
If there’s a franchise more suited to a filmmaker, it would be Suicide Squad and Ritchie. Gunn even does his version of Ritchie’s edit and storytelling throughout his film.
If the British director could bring Lock, Stock to King Arthur, handling the Squad would be an ease, especially if it had the same vibe as Snatch & The Gentleman. He has also shown he can bring big box office success to a major studio making over a billion for Disney with the live-action Aladdin.
Similar to McKay, he’d bring the humour and team banter. While making a cracking stylish title sequence introducing our characters, slow-mo, voiceover and finds the honour among villains.
The Bear Cave 