Jared Leto has officially given his support to the release of the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad, and this could mean some major things for David Ayer's unseen version of the supervillain ensemble. Though 2016's Suicide Squad was a box office hit, reviews weren't kind, while the movie itself had undergone some dramatic last-minute changes and reshoots, in response to the intensely divided reception of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Jared Leto's Joker was perhaps the most impacted by these changes, with his major role in Suicide Squad being reshaped and cut down to a shadow of what was intended.
In the years since Suicide Squad's release, David Ayer has gradually been more vocal about the changes made to the film and his dissatisfaction with the released version. Ayer would eventually make clear that the version of Suicide Squad released in 2016 was "not my movie" ahead of the release of James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, leading to rejuvenated calls for the Ayer Cut's release. While that hasn't happened, there's a new voice in the mix.
During a red-carpet interview with Variety, Jared Leto commented on the Ayer Cut, saying "Absolutely, why not?" and "I mean, that's what streaming's for, right?" regarding a potential release. Considering how Leto's Joker went from being a central pillar of Suicide Squad to a secondary character more on the outskirts of the story, it's not surprising that he's backing the Ayer Cut's release. The question is, now that Leto has given an on-camera endorsement for the Ayer Cut, what could that lead to?
Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff previously stated that the Ayer Cut wouldn't be greenlit days after the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League, so the studio was and seemingly still is not intent on moving forward with it. However, as was the case with the Snyder Cut (and Snyder's unproduced Justice League sequels), interest in the Ayer Cut isn't dying in the face of Warner Bros. saying no. Leto's support coupled with Ayer's previous statements on the matter ensures that the Ayer Cut won't fade from public view. Whether that will be enough for Warner Bros. to change its mind remains to be seen.
In the short term, Leto's statement is probably going to be just a voice of support for Ayer Cut. However, a key factor in the Snyder Cut finally being greenlit was when cast members began throwing their support behind it. This ended up leading to a snowball effect of more and more public support for it until it was finally announced in May 2020.
Now that Leto has shared his support for the Ayer Cut, it could lead to more of the cast backing it. Jay Hernandez has supported Ayer on social media, while Leto's support for the Ayer Cut could inspire other cast members, such as Will Smith, to do so. Right now, the push by fans for the Ayer Cut to be released doesn't have an end in sight, but now that Jared Leto has officially backed it, there could be more Suicide Squad cast members doing so in the not-too-distant future.
