Suicide Squad 2 is adding Mel Gibson to its ensemble cast. As a director.
Warner Bros. has reportedly approached the controversial actor and director to helm the sequel of the blockbuster hit Suicide Squad. The film premiered on Aug. 1, 2016 and broke box office records on its way to $745 million worldwide earnings. The film was marred with negative reviews and controversies. Adding Mel Gibson to the mix might be an explosive cocktail.
Warner Bros. hasn't released any official comments about this.
'Suicide Squad 2' Shortlist
Warner Bros. is reportedly courting the Oscar-nominated Hacksaw Ridge director Gibson to head the sequel. However, Gibson is not the only one that the studio is approaching.
Aside from Gibson, WB will meet up with Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer, Safe House's Daniel Espinosa, and Warm Bodies' Jonathan Levine.
The first movie's director David Ayer is now in the lead for the development of Gotham City Sirens, a planned movie that will focus on the female villains of the DC Comics universe. The movie will reunite Ayer with Margot Robbie, who is popular for portraying Harley Quinn in the first Suicide Squad movie. David Ayer earlier expressed his desire to "do a more grounded story" the next time he handles a film like this.
Daniel Espinosa's pedigree with action films like the 2012 thriller Safe House can be his calling card for the action-filled Suicide Squad.
Ruben Fleischer's fit as the Squad's director can be boosted by his critically acclaimed Zombieland and the neo-noir Gangster Squad.
Jonathan Levine's strong credentials include comedy, something Suicide Squad has a lot of. Aside from Warm Bodies, Levine also directed comedian Seth Rogen's films 50/50 and The Night Before.
Mel Gibson And His Squad Goals
Mel Gibson may have the directorial chops, but he isn't exactly a big fan of superhero movies.
He described Marvel movies as "more violent than anything" he's done. He also called Batman v Superman, a DC franchise like Suicide Squad, "a piece of s---" in an interview during the Venice Film Festival premiere of his film Hacksaw Ridge.
"Do you know what the difference between real superheroes and comic book superheroes is? Real superheroes didn't wear spandex," he said during the interview.
So it remains to be seen how Gibson will approach the Suicide Squad sequel. Although the director is not a stranger to uneasy setups like this. A lightning rod of controversy, he got in hot water for drunken rants and his anti-Semitic statements.
