Suicide Squad director acknowledges Joker should have been the main villain … again

The Joker played a small role in Suicide Squad; something actor Jared Leto has spoken at length about in past interviews. Director David Ayer is now affirming, again, that Leto’s Joker should have had a bigger role.

Ayer told a Suicide Squad fan on Twitter that he believes the Joker should have played the main villain in the movie, admitting that he agonizes over the previous decision to have Enchantress in that position instead.

This isn’t the first time that Ayer has spoken about how he would change the Joker’s role in the movie if he could go back in time. In January, Ayer posted a letter on Twitter addressing complaints people had about the movie, including the minimal amount of screen time the Joker received.

I’d make Joker the main villain and engineer a more grounded story. I have to take the good and bad and learn from it. I love making movies and I love DC. I’m a High School dropout and used to paint houses for a living. I’m so lucky to have the job I have. I have to give the characters the stories and plots they deserve next time. Real talk. (And no, there isn’t a secret edit of the film with a bunch of Joker scenes hidden in a salt mine somewhere.)

With an opportunity to create the Suicide Squad movie he’s always wanted, Ayer is stepping away from the franchise for now. Instead of working on Suicide Squad 2, Ayer will direct Gotham City Sirens, which stars Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Catwoman. Ayer didn’t address why he wasn’t working on Suicide Squad 2, evading the question when asked at San Diego Comic-Con, as reported by CinemaBlend.

It’s a story about three fantastic women who’re trying to find their way in the world, and realize that they have more power together than they do individually. I have daughters, and I want to create something that might be able to help them get along in the world a little bit.

Suicide Squad 2 will instead be directed by Gavin O’Connor, with Robbie and Leto rumored to be attached. A Deadline report alleged that Leto would return for Suicide Squad 2 and star in the Harley Quinn spinoff, but the actor hasn’t confirmed anything at this time. In a prior interview with BBC Radio 5, Leto admitted he wasn’t happy with how the feature turned out, picking at his lack of screen time.

I think that I brought so much to the table in every scene that it was probably more about filtering all of the insanity, because I wanted to give a lot of options, and I think there’s probably enough footage in this film for a Joker movie. If I were to die tomorrow, maybe the studio would roll something out.

If Leto does return for Suicide Squad 2, there’s a possibility the film will focus on the Joker and his relationship with Harley Quinn, but there’s no certainty.

Suicide Squad 2 will be released in 2019.