Writer/director James Gunn has clarified that he is not currently working on The Suicide Squad 3, but the sequel’s delay can potentially work in its favor. Since the release of 2021’s The Suicide Squad, audiences have anticipated the news regarding the title anti-heroes’ return. However, the sequel has not passed the planning phase, opening the opportunity for the next installment to gradually enter production.

Gunn’s film follows Task Force X (otherwise called the “Suicide Squad”), a special operations team comprised of lethally skilled, superpowered villains captured by the covert organization ARGUS. Among the team’s ranks are Harley Quinn, the reformed criminal; Bloodsport, the brutal sharpshooter; and King Shark, the deceptively docile humanoid shark. Amanda Waller, the cold-hearted director of ARGUS, recruits the Suicide Squad for a dangerous mission on the island of Corto Maltese to destroy Jotunheim, a secret facility conducting inhumane scientific experiments. In exchange for their cooperation, Waller agrees to shorten each Squad member’s prison sentence, but their survival is not guaranteed.

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The Suicide Squad has become one of the DC Extended Universe’s most well-received films to date, applauded for being equal parts action-packed, dramatic, and hilarious. Despite its immense success, Gunn revealed in a recent interview the surprising news that he presently is not working on a follow-up film. Gunn is currently focused on multiple television show projects for the constantly expanding DCEU, and though he has expressed interest in making The Suicide Squad 3, his already full schedule would not permit the time for such a massive project. The update may disappoint those who enjoyed the original movie, but Gunn’s postponement of The Suicide Squad 3 allows more time for developing the story instead of rushing to production. As Gunn gears his focus toward new DC-related shows, he can simultaneously build the foundation for the sequel’s story, leading to a more cohesive end product.

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Gunn’s HBO Max series Peacemaker doubles as both a standalone feature and a continuation of The Suicide Squad, exemplifying how the film’s overarching story can proceed. Peacemaker’s first season follows the missions of the eponymous masked vigilante after his near-death experience on Corto Maltese and his uncordial severance from the Squad, giving him more significance than in his debut. Since Gunn has confirmed working on Peacemaker season 2, a spin-off centered on Amanda Waller, and other undisclosed DC shows, he can further explore the familiar characters and their respective storylines to correspond with The Suicide Squad’s sequel.

The biggest advantage of producing The Suicide Squad 3 at a later date affords Gunn and his collaborators an invaluable commodity: time. When the DCEU first began in 2013, it faced pressure to match pace with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which had already been in motion since 2008. The current situation grants Gunn time to provide depth to the sequel’s story, allowing it to naturally progress from the last film. For now, The Suicide Squad 3 is only a concept. Though some viewers may be disheartened that a sequel is not in progress, the director’s suspension of the film indicates he wants the follow-up to be as exciting as its predecessor.

Next: Will The Suicide Squad 3 Be Another Reboot After Peacemaker?

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