The Suicide Squad director James Gunn gave his honest response on whether or not the DC movie will receive a sequel or not.
Despite positive reviews from fans and critics, it remains to be seen if Suicide Squad 3 is in the cards, especially after Gunn played coy about the topic.
Moreover, the arrival of DC's upcoming reboot could hinder plans for a potential Task Force X continuation - with two movies already released through David Ayer's Suicide Squad (2016) and James Gunn's The Suicide Squad (2021).
James Gunn Gives Disappointing Suicide Squad 3 Update
On Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, The Suicide Squad director and current CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn, talked about Peacemaker Season 2, Waller, and a potential Suicide Squad 3.
While confirming that Peacemaker is "coming back right after" he finishes work on directing Superman: Legacy, Rosenbaum asked about the sequel to The Suicide Squad, but Gunn responded by pointing out that the Viola Davis-led Waller spin-off series will be "first:"
Rosenbaum: “Is Peacemaker really coming back or is there just no time for it?"
Gunn: “No, Peacemaker’s coming back right after Superman. That’s my next thing.”
Rosenbaum: “So then you’ll just walk in.”
Gunn: “Yeah, go straight from Superman to Peacemaker.”
Rosenbaum: “Suicide Squad 2?”
Gunn: “But Waller’s first. And Waller’s a lot of the same people from Peacemaker. So I mean, this is all… But yeah.”
When Rosenbaum asked again if The Suicide Squad sequel will happen, Gunn only responded by saying, "No."
In June 2022, Gunn confirmed in an interview with The Playlist that "[they've] talked about" doing a proper sequel to The Suicide Squad, but "[he] just [has] so many hours in a day to work on stuff:"
“Yeah, we’ve talked about it,… 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.”
This was during a time before he took over for DC Studios, assumed directing duties on Superman: Legacy, and a rebooted slate was announced.
In the interview, Gunn mentioned then that he wasn't sure what his next film project could be under the DC banner, noting that "it could be a DC movie that has to do with [The Suicide Squad] characters," but he's unsure if that could be a "Suicide Squad movie or something else that's within that world:"
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do next because it could be a movie outside of [DC], but it could be a DC movie that has to do with these characters… does that mean it’s the ‘Suicide Squad’ movie or something else that’s within that world or a little bit different than that? And that I’m not exactly sure.”
Why DC Does Not Need a Suicide Squad 3 (Yet)
James Gunn's firm denial of not developing Suicide Squad 3 could essentially mean that the threequel is not happening.
This is fitting since making a follow-up to The Suicide Squad would only confuse fans, considering that a new DC reboot is on its way.
In fact, it seems that fans have already lost interest in the current iteration of the DCEU. Warner Bros. Discovery already suffered three major box office flops in a row, starting with Black Adam and just recently, The Flash.
Some have even argued that abandoning Peacemaker Season 2 (which is connected to The Suicide Squad) should be considered, mainly because it would further add confusion to those who are fully expecting a clean slate.
At this point, Suicide Squad 3 appears to be off the table as Gunn is now focused on introducing new actors and characters in the new DCU.
The Suicide Squad is streaming on Max.
