James Gunn clarifies truth behind Will Smith return for Suicide Squad 3

James Gunn's DCEU debut wasn't as commercially successful as many hoped, but it went on to become a rare critical hit for Warner Bros. Gunn later solidified his place in the DCEU with Peacemaker, starring John Cena.

We can't exactly rule out the possibility that David Ayer will return to do a proper sequel to Suicide Squad with Will Smith in the lead.

Now that he's confirmed to be working on multiple DCEU shows for HBO Max, including Peacemaker's second season, fans are already talking about a sequel to The Suicide Squad.

Among the several rumors about The Suicide Squad floating around is that the follow-up is going to bring back Will Smith as Deadshot. However, it appears that this couldn't be any further from reality.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director debunked the rumor following a fan inquiry on Twitter, putting all speculations to rest once and for all:

It’s not.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) September 26, 2022

For what it's worth, Gunn's statement doesn't clarify if he's attached to the third live-action adaptation of Suicide Squad. For all we know, the report by Mikey Sutton is true and that Warner Bros. Discovery wants to bring back David Ayer and Will Smith. If this is true, then we can expect more fans to come out of the woodwork in support of the so-called Ayer Cut, which Jared Leto spoke positively about last year.

Having said that, it's oddly curious why Warner Bros. hasn't confirmed a third Suicide Squad film yet if it's even ever in the works.

2016's Suicide Squad was not a huge critical hit but it still made a lot of cash at the global box office.

One of the biggest criticisms of the DCEU is the lack of continuity and long-term planning. In an ideal world, we'd have already finished watching Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Black Adam in theaters by now with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom coming next.

Instead, the DCEU is in shambles with little to no direction as the search for the Kevin Feige-like figure continues after Dan Lin reportedly declined the post.

Ultimately, it looks like Will Smith's return to the DCEU all lies in the hands of whoever Warner Bros. Discovery hires to spearhead the entire cinematic universe. Of course, we shouldn't also forget the slapping incident at the 94th Academy Awards, which should play a factor.

James Gunn clarifies truth behind Will Smith return for Suicide Squad 3

James Gunn put it plainly when he shot down rumors that Will Smith will return as Deadshot in James Gunn's Suicide Squad sequel.

Posted by Ray Ampoloquio