‘Suicide Squad’ Director David Ayer Defends James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Amid Online Backlash: ‘As a Filmmaker I Want to Support Other Filmmakers’
David Ayer has responded to public criticism for his support of James Gunn‘s upcoming film “Superman” and his cinematic expansion of the collective DC Universe.
A few days prior to the release of the “Superman” trailer, Ayer addressed the ongoing campaign among his fans to promote and release his cut of the 2016 feature “Suicide Squad.” He asked fans to halt this initiative, writing on X, “I didn’t realize James was dropping ‘Creature Commandos’ when the last Ayer cut campaign hit…the new ‘Superman’ trailer is dropping soon and I know there’s intentions of another campaign for my version of Skwad.”
Ayer later added: “As a film maker I want to support other film makers. I’m excited to see the trailer and have heard through the rumor mill it’s pretty incredible.” He went on to urge fans not to attempt to overshadow the release of Gunn’s upcoming Man of Steel project.
On Dec. 18, Ayer took to X once more to express his reaction to recent backlash regarding his support of Gunn and his revamped DC Studios.
“My Lord. If supporting another film maker is so contentious, I’m just lost at this point,” he wrote on the social media platform. “When I was a kid I had a nightmare childhood. My best friends were comic books. They held me and gave me company when no one else did.”
The director went on to share how Batman spoke to his soul while the optimism of Superman made a lasting impact on him. He held his convictions regarding the situation, writing “I cannot fucking wait to see James’ trailer. Real talk. And I cannot wait to see his film. And absolutely am sure he crushed it. Because that simple optimism of Superman is all over it. And the little kid in me needs that right now.”
Ayer then questioned if he was in the wrong for his controversial perspective on the matter. He concluded that he would be taking a step back, although he did not specify if this was in relation to social media or the entertainment industry as a whole.
Last year, Ayer discussed with Gunn the possibility of releasing a new cut of “Suicide Squad.“
“All I know is my unseen film plays much better than the studio release,” Ayer wrote on X in August of this past year. “The interest in my cut being [shown] seems real and organic. And Gunn told me it would have its time to be shared. He absolutely deserves to launch his DC Universe without more drama about old projects. In a way I’m chained to this thing. I’m riding a tiger here and navigating this situation the best I can. Life is a very strange journey.”
Ayer also emphasized that his version of the feature would eventually be released. In an interview with “Total Film” in December of 2023, the filmmaker said “It’s coming. Something’s going to happen. Something’s going to be revealed. The truth always comes out. It always comes out.”
