By Travis Johnson
The Hollywood Reporter asserts that the good folks at DC/Warner would very much like it of Mel Gibson would direct Suicide Squad 2.
Yep. That was our reaction.
It’s an odd fit, to say the least. Gibson is currently in the Best Director Oscar race for his work on Hacksaw Ridge and is known for somewhat weightier, Jesus-ier material than Suicide Squad. Plus, he has openly disparaged superhero movies, saying, “I look at them and scratch my head. I’m really baffled by it. I think there’s a lot of waste but maybe if I did one of those things with the green screens I’d find out different. I don’t know.”
Gibson also singled out DC/Warner’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, calling it “…a piece of shit.” Bless.
Plus, if Gibson was going to head into capes ‘n’ tights territory, you’d think it’d be for old mate Robert Downey Jr. RDJ has said he would consider returning to the Iron Man franchise (Avengers and Spider-Man flicks apparently not counting) if Gibson directed, and Marvel would very much their flagship actor to stick around.
Still, if you ponder on it a bit, the idea is not without merit. Suicide Squad is, thematically, all about redemption through violence, and that’s well-trod territory for Mel. He’d certainly bring some sorely-needed gravitas to the proceedings, and with David Ayer tied up on Gotham City Sirens, they need someone to step up. Word is that Gibson is ” familiarising himself with the material” – let’s see if he likes it enough to sign on the dotted line.
