Suicide Squad 2016: Every New Ayer Cut Scene & Detail Just Revealed

Here’s every detail revealed by the latest Ayer cut Suicide Squad leaks. Filmmakers traditionally go to great lengths in the name of preventing spoilers, but when the finished movie barely resembles what said filmmaker envisioned, behind-the-scenes secrets seem to flow much more freely into the public domain. After Justice League was reworked by Joss Whedon, original director, Zack Snyder, would regularly drop deleted scenes and unseen stills from his version of the movie on social media, galvanizing fans to demand the Snyder cut be completed and released. Suicide Squad is another example of a DCEU movie where Warner Bros. didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye with a director.

As the story goes, negative reactions to Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice gave Warner Bros. jitters about upcoming DCEU projects, forcing a franchise rethink and a general shift toward a lighter tone. Suicide Squad tested two separate cuts with audiences – a WB edit, and a version David Ayer describes as his arrangement of the WB edit, with the actual “Ayer cut” abandoned quicker than Slipknot. Ultimately, Suicide Squad was a box office hit but a critical misfire, and Ayer has openly discussed his lack of creative control over the finished product. Buoyed by Zack Snyder’s Justice League finally hitting HBO Max after years of campaigning, DC fans are now petitioning to #ReleaseTheAyerCut.

And, of course, this means more leaks. What better way to foster Ayer cut support than by giving an already eager fan base a taste of what they could’ve had? The most recent reveals come via the RTAyerCutSS Twitter account and include both script pages and deleted shots, all of which have been confirmed as legitimate by David Ayer himself. Here’s everything we learned.

Batfleck Was Much Darker

In the 2016 cut of Suicide Squad, Batman apprehends Will Smith’s Deadshot while the criminal is enjoying a shopping trip with his daughter. Batman doesn’t wish to fight with the youngster present, but Deadshot continues to resist anyway. In Ayer’s original scripted flashback, however, Batman actually taunted his prey, telling Deadshot, “she’ll have gray hair when you see her again.” This is one of the alternate scenes that arguably works better in the finished cut, as the Ayer line feels drastically out of character for even Ben Affleck’s troubled Caped Crusader.

Harley Quinn & Joker Origin Changes

The Ayer cut leaks clarify just how much of Jared Leto’s Joker was dropped from Suicide Squad, with many of the Tweeted script pages concerning Harley Quinn’s time as the Clown Princess. The flashback scene where Joker places twin electrodes upon Harley’s temples is very similar to Ayer’s original design, but with one notable omission. In the finished Suicide Squad cut, Joker says, “I’m not gonna kill ya… I’m just gonna hurt ya really, really bad” but the leaked script page omits this line, with Joker instead asking “forget you ever met me…” Though still deeply uncomfortable, the Ayer version feels poignant for Harley’s long-term character development and fits more naturally with the subsequent road chase scene, where Joker refers to Harley’s persistence as a “pain in the ass.”

In another change to Harley Quinn’s backstory, Dr. Quinzel’s street argument with Joker seems to have been altered significantly. The Ayer cut sees Joker mount Harley and put a razor in her mouth while she “licks her lips.” Described in the script as “sexy,” this might’ve risked coming across as overly gratuitous. Having said that, one particularly interesting detail is Joker not being able to hurt Harley, despite wanting to, highlighting his growing fondness for her. That connection didn’t come across so easily in Suicide Squad‘s theatrical flashback.

Moving on to ACE Chemicals and Dr. Quinzel completing her transition into Harley Quinn via acidic trust fall, Joker is afforded important additional dialogue in the Ayer cut, describing the factory as the place he was born and reciting a longer oath for Harley to take before she falls.

The Ayer cut is then much more generous exploring Joker and Quinn’s relationship. A cut scene would’ve had Jared Leto behind a “wall of bottles” drinking alongside a corpse with a smile carved into his face. He’s found by Jonny Frost, which serves to establish Joker’s top henchman as a loyal employee. Another unseen flashback would’ve had Joker naked in a hotel room, adopting the fetal position while surrounded by manic writing and more empty bottles, before Harley arrives to tenderly console him. A similar moment transpired in the final Suicide Squad cut, but sans Ms. Quinn.

Joker’s Arkham Assault

Back in September 2020, David Ayer confirmed that his Suicide Squad opened with an extended sequence of Joker assaulting Arkham Asylum. Sure enough, this invasion is present in the new leaks, which describes an unnerving clash between Arkham guards and Joker’s “paramilitary thugs,” as frightened patients look on in confusion.

Monster T’s Darker Death

The unfortunate Monster T is killed by Joker after turning down the clown’s “gift” of Harley Quinn, but his original demise was far more grisly. Joker and Harley maintain the gift charade, with Mr. J even giving Monster T a gun to shoot her, should he so desire. The gangster correctly figures that he’s really being instructed to take his own life, and promptly does so, with Joker ironically commending T’s “brains.” This version of events feels far more logical (relatively speaking), and more effectively establishes Joker as a cunning psychopath.

More Between June Moone and Rick Flag

In previous Tweets, David Ayer explained how his version of Suicide Squad afforded more development to June Moone and Rick Flag in the opening act. A page from the latest leaks depicts a scene where Joel Kinnaman and Cara Delevingne’s characters are caught kissing by Amanda Waller, who warns them about using “protection” for fear of spawning the antichrist. Though the Ayer cut is evidently darker than 2016’s Suicide Squad, this scene definitely proves that comedic elements were still present, while also foreshadowing June’s eventual transformation into Enchantress.

Funny Introductions

When Slipknot arrives for his Task Force X induction, Harley Quinn drops the classic “untied shoelace” gag and the ill-fated villain falls for it. She also teases Captain Boomerang for wearing “kangaroo hunting” clothes, but Jai Courtney expertly retorts by asking if Quinn is “going to a rave.” Laughs all round.

Killer Croc’s Deadshot Connection

In an intriguing mid-mission exchange, Killer Croc requests Deadshot’s services for some names he wants crossed off back in Gotham. Will Smith doubts his scaled pal can afford the hefty fee, but Croc reveals that he already hired Deadshot once before, paying the mercenary to cut out a target’s heart and deliver it back to him. Not only does this deepen the connection between Task Force X members, but some much-needed meat is added to Killer Croc’s backstory.

Boomerang Blows Up A Tanker

Another missing sequence sees Rick Flag deliberately crash a fuel tanker, then call for Captain Boomerang to detonate the leaking gas with an exploding projectile. Jai Courtney’s character duly obliges; cue massive explosion.

Joker Jokes

When Joker commandeers Amanda Waller’s extraction chopper to rescue Harley Quinn, he brings along Dr. Van Criss to disarm the explosive attached to his girlfriend’s neck. A leaked page from Ayer’s early script included a fun exchange beforehand, in which Van Criss informs Joker that isolating Harley’s signal would send everyone else’s detonators into “failsafe mode” shortly before killing them. Joker is predictably unmoved by this and Van Criss feels silly for even thinking his deranged captor would care. The comedic conversation further proves that Ayer’s Suicide Squad cut wasn’t all doom and gloom.

Failsafe Mode

Following on from the Joker-Van Criss scene, Deadshot and the Suicide Squad barely have time to process Harley’s abrupt departure before the Ayer script has them all suddenly realizing that their neck detonators are flashing red. Waller tells Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Diablo and Killer Croc that they have five minutes to live.

Joker In Bed With The Law

In order to find Harley, Joker needed Dr. Van Criss, but to reach Van Criss, the Clown Prince must first intimidate Judge Witman, which he does by abducting the man’s wife and taking her place in the marital bed. This missed scene would’ve added some much-needed classic Joker mischief to Jared Leto’s non-traditional performance.

Harley & Joker’s Awkward Reunion

Joker and Harley Quinn’s reunion is brief in Suicide Squad. The pair kiss aboard the hijacked helicopter, but when a missile hits, Harley sort-of-falls-sort-of-gets-pushed from the open side door, with Joker reaching after her in anguish. Harley and Joker’s helicopter ride plays out differently in the original script, as Joker “stiff-arms” Harley when she goes in for a hug, bemoaning having to rescue his partner in crime. Again, this sows seeds of discontent between the pair, pushing Quinn beyond the lovesick follower she became in Suicide Squad.

Additionally, Harley’s fall from the chopper would’ve been far more clear-cut in Ayer’s original Suicide Squad, with Joker explicitly pushing her after a parting shot of “maybe we should date other people.” This line would lead neatly into Harley’s Deadshot romance, since Mistah J has already abandoned her.

Harley’s Emancipation Begins Earlier

Joker’s peripheral presence in Suicide Squad became a heavily criticized element of the 2016 film, with Jared Leto’s Clown Prince offering precious little to the central plot. David Ayer has previously claimed that the 30 Seconds To Mars frontman’s original performance was far superior and, sure enough, leaked Ayer cut script pages reveal a much larger role for Joker in his DCEU debut. In the leaked story, Joker is even present during Task Force X’s final battle against Enchantress. He chides Harley for being so dramatic, and she calmly retorts with “please don’t disrespect me in front of my friends.” This subordination continues to set up Harley’s later emancipation in Birds of Prey.

Deadshot & Harley Quinn’s Romance Happened

Rumors that Suicide Squad originally contained a romantic subplot between Deadshot and Harley Quinn are nothing new. The film itself includes several moments that allude toward an entanglement, and David Ayer explained in May 2020 how reshoots removed his planned coupling between male and female leads. Among the new leaks is a still image from a deleted scene where Deadshot and Harley finally kiss. While making out with Deadshot cements Harley Quinn as finally moving on from Joker, it could be argued that sending her straight from one relationship to another does little for the character’s independence – something James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad handles far better.

The kiss would be preceded by Deadshot claiming to have never fallen in love, and Harley calling him out for “bulls**t” before getting nose-to-nose. Quinn then claims to be “very high maintenance” before finally moving in for the smooch.

Enchantress Possesses Katana

A series of pages from the battle between Task Force X and Enchantress detail an extended variation of Suicide Squad‘s climactic fight, in which Katana is possessed by a flailing tendril. This immediately sounds more interesting than the theatrical cut, where Karen Fukuhara’s character all but faded into obscurity. Killer Croc then also finds himself under Enchantress’ spell, attempting to repossess a freed Katana, but Harley manages to shoot her fishy friend free.

Katana Takes Incubus’ Soul

Katana did precious little in Suicide Squad, but fans missed out on an awesome-sounding scene where the warrior sliced Incubus’ head and absorbed his soul into her blade. This likely wasn’t enough to actually defeat the villain, but at least Karen Fukuhara got to do something.

Giant Enchantress

The Ayer cut script describes a transformed Enchantress reaching 10ft in height, wearing “magic fractal armor” and wielding a golden sword in the final battle. Though undoubtedly a nice idea, Suicide Squad‘s CGI (and evil Cara Delevingne in particular) was widely criticized, so an effect of this grandiose scale might’ve fallen flat.

Deadshot’s Choice

Toward the conclusion of the final battle between Task Force X and Enchantress, Deadshot is left with a choice between detonating a mine, thereby completing the team’s combo assault and destroying Enchantress, or saving himself from the witch’s incoming blade. The scenario sets up a final redemptive choice between self-preservation and doing the right thing for Deadshot. Since Enchantress doesn’t have a growth spurt or a huge sword in Suicide Squad‘s theatrical cut, the danger is removed, and Will Smith can take the final shot freely.

El Diablo Lives

Jay Hernandez’s El Diablo sacrifices himself toward the end of 2016’s Suicide Squad, unleashing the full force of his fiery power to subdue Incubus, thus allowing Rick Flag to detonate the planted explosives. David Ayer already revealed that El Diablo’s death was only added to Suicide Squad via reshoots, and in the leaked script pages, Hernandez’s character is peacefully meditating in a regular cell by the end of the movie, surrounded by family photos. It’s a more emotive ending, but one that reduces Suicide Squad‘s already tame death count.

Killer Croc Carries Amanda Waller To Safety

In further proof that David Ayer’s darker Suicide Squad still contained its fair share of levity, the obligatory post-battle back-patting session includes a moment where Killer Croc carries Amanda Waller over his shoulder, with the Task Force X leader angrily demanding to be put down.

Boomerang In Jail

Aside from Harley and Deadshot’s kiss, another leaked Suicide Squad image reveals Captain Boomerang in his jail cell, wearing stained underwear and waving around something vaguely resembling lit toilet paper. This might come at the end of the movie, where Boomer is returned to jail and looks less than pleased about it. This image (or one very similar) actually surfaced in 2016 in the aftermath of Suicide Squad‘s release, but can’t be found in the movie proper.

Joker Lets Harley Live

After the Enchantress battle is over, Joker pulls a gun on Harley Quinn for “disobeying” him, but Margot Robbie’s character continues to defy her pale ex-lover. Saddened at the realization that Quinn is no longer under his spell, Joker lets her live, claiming she has another war to fight. Joker letting his ex-girlfriend walk free brings a certain satisfaction, but perhaps also detracts from the agency of Quinn making the decision herself.

A Sequel Tease

In Suicide Squad‘s final scene, Bruce Wayne warns Amanda Waller to shut down Task Force X. This also transpires in the Ayer cut, but  the mid-credits sequence originally ended with Waller frantically receiving news of Joker breaking Harley Quinn out of jail, potentially setting up the Suicide Squad’s next mission, or at least a future for Jared Leto’s DCEU Joker.