It's been well documented that Warner Bros. offered James Gunn the chance to direct a number of DC Comics properties when he first began negotiating with the studio after being fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Superman was among them.
Of course, the filmmaker ultimately decided to develop a new take on Suicide Squad, but was he ever tempted by the prospect of bringing his signature style to such an iconic character like the Man of Steel? Based on what he told EW during a recent nterview, the thought never even crossed his mind.
"Things like Superman, Justice League, people have so many ideas about who they are that it seems like less of a fun playground," he said.
Gunn has already explained that the notion of bringing a bunch of lesser-known characters together for a more adult-orientated adventure is what appealed to him, and he clearly had a lot of fun working on The Suicide Squad. So, is a sequel something he's given any consideration to?
"I've had ideas, actually," he admits. "If I did a sequel, it's not like, 'Hey, let's assemble another team and let's do this!' It would be very different."
Of course, whether Gunn gets the opportunity to helm a sequel will likely depend on how well the first movie performs at the box office and on HBO Max. Be sure to check out EW's piece, which also features some new stills.
"Welcome to hell — a.k.a. Bell Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out — even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today's do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin, and everyone's favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese."
"Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and- destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave...and Amanda Waller’s government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them—all of them."
We recently found out that the movie was officially rated R for "strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity."
The Suicide Squad is set to premiere on HBO Max and in theaters on August 6.