James Gunn Won’t Do Suicide Squad 3 after The Flash Disaster
James Gunn, who revived The Suicide Squad in 2021, was handed over the reins of the DC Studios late in 2022 alongside Peter Safran. But the duo’s start hasn’t taken off smoothly with The Flash failing to hold its ground at the box office.
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Andy Muschietti’s directorial The Flash has crossed the $250 million worldwide mark more than 20 days after its release (16th June), marking the Ezra Miller-led movie as one of the most underwhelming films of the year. The character of Barry Allen, who first appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016, finds himself using his power of speed to travel back in time to change the events of the past in his own dedicated franchise – The Flash (2023). However, the movie has fallen out of the spotlight with the same ‘speed’, and now threatens to take down the Suicide Squad series with it.
How the Flash Will Impact Suicide Squad Plans of James Gunn
Now, on its own the solo franchise doesn’t paint a tragic picture for the DC Studios, but when considered that this is the third notable flop in a row after Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the future seems grim for the franchise’s next inline works.
Gunn written The Suicide Squad (2021) got more plaudits from critics than its predecessor Suicide Squad (2016), the series which follows the journey of convicts who join a task force named “Suicide Squad” in exchange for lighter sentences.
However, as far as the box office collection was concerned, the sequel fell flat, partly due to COVID-19 during its release. But James Gunn confirmed that there are no plans for a third Suicide Squad movie. With Gunn and Safran focused on rebranding DC Universe, the former is unlikely to spend further resources on a soft sequel of the Suicide Squad series that has so far drawn mixed reactions with its two parts and risk another frustrating financial result for the franchise. The most likely conclusion is the introduction of new characters for the series but there’s no timeline available regarding that for now.
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What’s Next for James Gunn
The acclaimed filmmaker sat down with Michael Rosenbaum recently and during the chat which saw him breaking the Suicide Squad series’ fans’ hearts, he further revealed he’s currently focused on Superman: Legacy, a reboot for the Man of Steel and the movie that is considered the official start of their new era for the DC film franchise. Gunn will be directing the film throughout the first half of 2024.
After that, James Gunn will turn his attention to the Viola Davis-led Waller series and Peacemaker Season 2.
Source: CBR
