With James Gunn now on board at Warner Bros. to write Suicide Squad 2, we take a look at potential directors he could collaborate with, should he not end up sitting in the chair himself. The announcement that Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn would be joining the DCEU as the new writer of the sequel to Suicide Squad proved to be a major Hollywood story. After his July 2018 firing from Marvel over the uncovering of old offensive tweets, many feared that the fan favorite would never direct again, much less be given the opportunity to further work on Phase 4 of the MCU. Gunn’s addition to the DC roster seems to be the ideal fit for both film-maker and studio, as Gunn’s black comedy and Troma rooted sensibilities are perfectly matched with the gonzo chaos of the Suicide Squad stories.
Gunn is currently attached as a screenwriter to the movie, but there's a possibility he won't direct. If that's the case, Gunn could end up working in collaboration with another film-maker to bring the sequel to fruition. Fortunately, there are plenty of directors who would work well with Gunn and still be able to establish their own creative sensibilities on the franchise. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of directors who could take over the gig, pulled both from likely candidates and overlooked names we think are perfect for the franchise. Make sure to share your own choices in the comments.
- This Page: Gavin O'Connor, Gareth Evans, and Vincenzo Natali
- Page 2: David Ayer, Karyn Kusama, and More
Gavin O’Connor
Gavin O'Connor, director of films such as Miracle, Warrior and The Accountant, was previously attached to Suicide Squad 2 as director. He signed onto the project last September for both directing and writing duties. Yet, by the time Gunn was announced to be joining the DC team, O'Connor's name was off the project. This was allegedly due to his script treatment for the film being too similar to the studio’s planned Birds of Prey movie (to be directed by Cathy Yan), and O’Connor’s apparent frustration over that film being given the go-ahead before his. Since O'Connor's exit was due to him not wanting to do a script rewrite, he could still be game to direct (and may even have dibs since Gunn hasn't been confirmed yet) should he like what Gunn comes up with. He's currently working on other projects, including 2 new films with Ben Affleck, including a sequel to their film The Accountant, but the break needed for Gunn to rewrite the script would leave plenty of time for O'Connor to return to Warner Bros. for Suicide Squad 2. The Accountant was a big hit for Warner Bros. and the studio are always keen to keep profitable talent on their roster.
Gareth Evans
When Welsh director Gareth Evans smashed his way onto the action scene with 2011's The Raid, many called it the reinvention of an entire genre. The ruthlessly brutal movie combined the traditional Indonesian martial art Pencak Silat with the claustrophobic intensity of a heist movie to create a bone shattering experience that put most American action movies to shame. A sequel amped up the tension while his most recent film, Netflix's Apostle, proved a true surprise with its blend of Wicker Man inspired period horror and the overwhelming violence Evans made his name with. In an age where film fans are bored of CGI and crying out for realistic stunt work, Evans feels like the antidote to the computer-generated take-over. In October 2017, it was reported that Evans was working with DC on a Deathstroke movie, but earlier this month, Evans revealed that the project probably wasn’t happening any time soon since Warner Bros. had yet to get in touch with him about it. It would be a real waste for Evans and DC to see such a tantalizing partnership go to waste, and a lower budget hard R-rated Suicide Squad movie that combines Gunn’s black humor with Evans’s ultra-violence would certainly be an experience worth investing in.
Related: Who Dave Bautista Should Play in Suicide Squad 2
Vincenzo Natali
With influences that include David Cronenberg, Terry Gilliam, and Samuel Beckett, Vincenzo Natali has long been one of the most intriguing horror directors working today. His 1997 debut Cube was a critical and commercial success, while 2009's Splice offered a fresh take on body horror with a sci-fi twist. Natali has made a name for himself in television, directing series like Hannibal, Westworld, and American Gods, but he shines the most when given the room to explore his fascinations with the body and his unique approach to classic horror tropes. Natali has had a number of high-profile projects that never got off the ground, including a 3D adaptation of Swamp Thing. Suicide Squad is a series packed full of eclectic and grotesque characters who could benefit from a neo-horror touch that Natali is so adept at bringing.
Page 2: David Ayer, Karyn Kusama, and More
David Ayer
In many ways, David Ayer was the perfect director for Suicide Squad. He specializes in grimy, borderline nihilistic action stories with ties to social realism and he’s all about showing violence for the stomach-churning spectacle it is. Whatever happened to lead to the Suicide Squad film he actually made will probably never fully be revealed. It is known that he wrote the script very quickly – much quicker than a film of this scale and cost would usually require – and that Warner Bros. wanted a more comedic approach shoehorned into the film during reshoots. Two separate edits were made for test audiences and the final product was constructed from both, resulting in a calamitous mess that may be a nadir for the DCEU. Yet Ayer doesn’t have to leave the franchise on such a low. He was briefly attached to a Gotham City Sirens movie but that seems to have been abandoned in favor of Birds of Prey. WB's new administration appears to be more serious about letting film-makers do their thing so perhaps there’s a chance for Ayer to make the kind of Suicide Squad film he’d always intended to.
RELATED: Casting James Gunn's Suicide Squad 2
Karyn Kusama
Karyn Kusama's debut film, Girlfight, was an explosive introduction to a fiery film-maker when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2000. It went on to win the Grand Jury Prize there and had a highly received theatrical run, but it never elevated Kusama to the heights that many of her Sundance contemporaries reached. After a couple of flops - including the criminally underrated feminist horror comedy Jennifer's Body and the unfairly lambasted sci-fi Æon Flux - Kusama returned to the world of film with The Invitation in 2015. The small-budget horror film demonstrated why Kusama was so hotly hyped in the first place, thanks to its supremely well-crafted storytelling and tension building. Her upcoming film, the crime-noir Destroyer, received strong reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival and is already surrounded by awards buzz. Kusama has repeatedly shown herself to be a director adept at many genres, but especially those with a grimy flavor. A Suicide Squad movie that leans in hard to its retelling of an old-school "bad guys on a mission" tale could benefit from her attention to detail and willingness to center her narratives on deeply abrasive characters.
S.J. Clarkson
Clarkson looked set to be catapulted into the big time as a director when she was announced as the successor to JJ Abrams and Justin Lin for the fourth film in the rebooted Star Trek series. The British director had made her name through decades of work on television, from British soap operas to FX’s Dexter to Jessica Jones and The Defenders on Netflix. While that film is still in pre-production, rumors swirl that it may not happen due to the actors’ demands for more money. But Clarkson remains a rising talent people are keen to work with. For a while she was also considered a front-runner to replace Danny Boyle for the upcoming 25th James Bond film. Someone with Clarkson's range and acclaim - she recently directed the BBC mini-series Collateral to great reviews – would do well in a franchise context. DC is already strides ahead of their franchise competition in hiring rising women directors and Clarkson would fit right in with talents like Patty Jenkins and Cathy Yan.
Related: Every Female-Driven DC Movie in Development
Ana Lily Amirpour
Iranian-American director Ana Lily Amirpour made an explosive debut on the indie scene with the Sundance hit A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, a striking horror-noir that may have the distinction of being the only Iranian vampire feminist Western ever made. She followed that up with The Bad Batch, an equally eclectic dystopian black comedy that featured cannibals, a genre exploration of American immigration issues, and Jim Carrey as a wise hermit. Amirpour has a modern gonzo approach to film-making that blends genres, ideas, and styles with frenetic energy. It doesn’t always work but the results are always unique and daring in a manner that cries out for a grander scale. Suicide Squad in the comics works best when it takes the “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” approach, which is practically Amirpour’s directorial philosophy. Currently, she is shopping her next film around to producers, a New Orleans set fantasy-adventure inspired by the 1980s called Blood Moon, but she would be a welcome and refreshing addition to any studio's roster. If the DCEU is committed to charting a new path from the past, then Amirpour could be a much-needed shot in the arm for the franchise.
Reed Morano
Reed Morano has quickly established herself as a pioneer in the film world. In 2013, she became the youngest member of the American Society of Cinematographers, and one of only 14 women in an organization of approximately 345 active members. After working as a cinematographer on acclaimed indies like The Skeleton Twins and the HBO series Looking, Morano made the jump into directing. She became the first woman in history to win both the Emmy and Directors Guild Award for directing a drama series for her work on Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. Morano’s work is at its most striking when she is able to work in the gap between realism and surrealism, which feels perfect for the comic book world. Suicide Squad 2 probably isn’t a film looking to benefit from the kind of subtle intimacy Morano is so good at but she can put together a set-piece like nobody else on television and that sensibility would fit the DCEU well.
NEXT: Why Warner Bros. is Okay with Gunn’s Twitter History But Not Disney
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