The Suicide Squad appears set to take aim in multiple directions when it lands on August 5 (July 30 in the UK).
Warner Bros' upcoming supervillain flick is not only gunning for Joker's highest-grossing R-rated film crown, but it appears that it'll take a pop at the bland, safe space that the superhero genre has settled into during the past few years.
That's according to director James Gunn, who recently told SFX Magazine (via Total Film) that superhero movies were "mostly boring" these days, and needed something unique to set them apart from the volume of comic book-led productions that audiences have become accustomed to.
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Speaking as part of The Suicide Squad's press tour, Gunn was asked for his thoughts on the growing superhero genre, and the writer-director didn't hold back in his reply (albeit in an amusing fashion).
"They're mostly boring to me right now!" Gunn joked. "I loved them at the beginning and there are still people trying to do different things [with them], so it's not a 100% rule, but a lot of them are boring. So I think it's about bringing in other elements from different genres."
Analysis: could James Gunn be done with superhero movies?
Gunn's comments might lead fans to believe that he'll be stepping back from superhero based movies in the future. However, while it may seem that way on the surface, don't expect Gunn to completely walk away from a genre that has catapulted him into the mainstream.
For one, Gunn has three more superhero projects in the works after The Suicide Squad. The Slither director is currently working on a Peacemaker spin-off series for HBO Max, which will star John Cena as the titular character in his pre-Suicide Squad days as a vigilante.
Gunn is also beginning work on a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special for Disney Plus, as well as the third film in Marvel Studios' Guardians movie trilogy.
Add in the fact that two of Gunn's previous projects – Super and Brightburn – also have ties to the superhero genre, and it's evident that he has a huge affinity for this class of movies.
Gunn's quotes allude to the possibility of him making other superhero movies and TV shows post-Guardians of the Galaxy 3, too. Providing that Gunn can bring those "other elements from different genres" into further superhero (or supervillain) projects that he signs onto, there's no reason why we shouldn't expect him to make another DCEU movie or original property along the lines of Brightburn.
Of course, that's speculation on our part, but we'd be very surprised if Gunn walked away from the genre. Hopefully, we'll see Gunn helm more superhero movies in the future, providing they're the right fit for him.
The Suicide Squad launches simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max (with an ad-free subscription) on August 5 in the US. The movie lands in cinemas on July 30 in the UK.
