Suicide Squad 3 Gets Disappointing Update From James Gunn

James Gunn has given an update on a potential Suicide Squad 3, a proposed sequel to The Suicide Squad. Gunn has made a name for himself in recent years as a mastermind of the superhero genre, directing films for franchise giants DC and Marvel. Gunn directed 2021’s The Suicide Squad, a soft reboot of the widely-panned 2016 Suicide Squad. More recently, he continued to explore the DC universe through his HBO Max series Peacemaker, a spinoff based on John Cena’ The Suicide Squad anti-hero character.

After David Ayer’s Suicide Squad was met with largely negative reviews from both critics and audiences (largely due to interference from Warner Bros. with the director’s final cut), Gunn’s version saw the return of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) as they teamed up with a new group of super-villains to take on “Project Starfish” under the direction of Amanda Waller (Viola Davis). After many hyper-violent and gory action/death scenes, including an epic battle with the alien Starro, only some of Gunn’s Suicide Squad reboot team were left alive. However, the film’s ending came with the potential to continue the story of Robbie’s Quinn, as well as newcomers Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), and King Shark (Sylvester Stallone). However, despite Peacemaker picking up with Cena’s Christopher Smith, the prospect of a The Suicide Squad sequel movie has yet to be confirmed.

Now, Gunn has given somewhat of a disappointing update on the potential Suicide Squad 3, as per The Playlist. The director revealed that the chances of The Suicide Squad 2 are currently looking low. While Gunn admits he loved the process of making The Suicide Squad, his busy schedule makes it difficult to plan another film project. What’s more, Gunn is not even sure if his next work after Peacemaker season 2 will be something for Marvel or DC. Read his full quote below: 

“Yeah, we’ve talked about it [a sequel to The Suicide Squad] … but the honest truth is, I just have so many hours in a day to work on stuff. And I had such a fun time working in television that I really think that’s what I’m going to spend the next year of my life doing.”

While Gunn’s update on a potential The Suicide Squad 2 may come as a disappointment to some, his comments are not all bad. The filmmaker already has several exciting projects on his plate, including continuing the film’s story through Peacemaker season 2. What’s more, Gunn is also directing Guardians of the Galaxy 3, which has recently wrapped filming and is now in post-production. In fact, the new Guardians film will itself be bringing back some familiar faces from The Suicide Squad, as Ratcatcher 2 actor Melchoir was just announced to be joining its cast.

Considering Gunn’s comments regarding his new focus on TV, perhaps what the director has in store for the next chapter of Peacemaker will ultimately be bigger and better if he is able to fully commit his time to the show, rather than splitting it across a The Suicide Squad sequel. After Peacemaker season 1 introduced the Justice League, it’s certainly possible that season 2 will see several more major DC cameos, including The Suicide Squad characters. Only time will tell whether Gunn’s reboot will get its own sequel, but it’s clear that audiences shouldn’t expect The Suicide Squad 2 any time soon.