James Gunn's take on The Suicide Squad is scheduled to hit theaters later this summer. And while certain details surrounding the production have emerged, such as the film's runtime (132 minutes), details of its cast, and whether anyone will survive (apparently that's a no), specifics over its place in the DC Extended Universe are... fuzzy.
According to one of its stars, the movie's not a sequel but also not a reboot. John Cena, who appears in the film as Peacemaker, tells Observer his thoughts on the movie. "Perception is everything, and I won’t change your perception," he said. "But I’ll offer my own. The Suicide Squad is neither a sequel nor reboot. The Suicide Squad is the Suicide Squad from the brain of one of the most amazingly twisted creative minds in James Gunn that I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.
"James is so gifted in so many ways. The good thing about what’s going on with The Suicide Squad is exactly what you’re saying. People are kind of expecting to be something. But nobody’s ready to see this movie. Everyone needs it in their life, trust me. But nobody’s ready to see what it is. Nobody.”
Most actors involved with Gunn have nothing but good things to say about his prowess behind the lens. Joel Kinnaman, who's back as Rick Flag, went so far as to call The Suicide Squad Gunn's best movie.
Despite what Cena says, it's not hard to see why it'd be dubbed a soft remake/reboot of David Ayer's 2016 Suicide Squad; the titles are practically the same and Gunn himself dubbed the film a "total reboot" a few years back.
Whatever the movie is, fresh characters are guaranteed including Cena's Peacemaker, who's also the lead in an HBO Max prequel series also helmed by Gunn. “We’re almost through filming," Cena adds. "We almost have everything in the can. It’s really fun. You may think I’m front and center, but we have an all-star cast and everyone slays.
I think it’s going to do good for how people view elements of the DC Universe. Whether it continues to weave the web and further the DC Universe, that’s up to you guys. But I think it’ll be an awesome, awesome journey.”
The Suicide Squad is out in the UK on July 30 and in theaters and HBO Max simultaneously in the US on August 6. Before both Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad land, catch up on the DCEU with our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order.
