Warner Bros. may have kicked off the DC Comics Extended Universe earlier this year with the big three superheroes in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, but the next film on the franchise's release slate shifts the focus to the villains of the universe. David Ayer's Suicide Squad will follow the Worst. Damn. Heroes. as they're enlisted for a dangerous mission by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) of a secret government organization.
Although Suicide Squad is still more than a month away from release, early buzz for the film has already been incredibly positive, especially since reactions to test screenings have surfaced online. The only cause for fan concern seemed to be a report that Ayer and the cast of Suicide Squad returned for reshoots that would affect the tone of the film - though the director and co-star Jai Courtney (who will play Captain Boomerang) have since refuted the rumor. Now though, the director himself has announced the completion of post-production on Suicide Squad.
Ayer announced "Squad is completed" on Twitter, further explaining that the final mix of the film is done and will very soon be ready for audiences worldwide:
Squad is completed! Finished final mix and coloring. Now it's off to the lab and then the world. Nothing like it out there. It.Is.a.Beast.— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) June 24, 2016
Additionally, a new photo of the Joker (Jared Leto) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) has been released that seems to be from the scene in which both characters are driving in his purple Infiniti G35 (with a custom Vaydor frame). Plus, Ayer tweeted a behind-the-scenes photo teasing a government agency from Suicide Squad, though it isn't ARGUS like many DC Comics fans might expect. Instead, the photo teases the Non-human Entity Joint Combat Operations (NHEJCO) and features logos for both the organization - which does resemble the ARGUS logo from the comics - and the U.S.'s Homeland Security. Take a look at the new Suicide Squad photos:
pic.twitter.com/3QWnCPaTfZ— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) June 23, 2016
Of course, as the Suicide Squad release date draws closer, Warner Bros. has stepped up its marketing push. New posters of the full Squad and individual one-sheets for the characters have been released. Plus, capitalizing on the buzz generated by the music choices that have been paired with the Suicide Squad trailers (especially the trailer that featured Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"), plenty of the marketing for the film as of late has centered on music, with official tie-in music videos for original songs "Heathens" and "Sucker for Pain" being released in the past week.
However, though the marketing for Suicide Squad may be generating excitement among many fans, we likely won't know whether the film lives up to the buzz until early reviews begin to surface online or the movie hits theaters in August. After the polarizing reactions to Batman V Superman, both fans and Warner Bros. may be hoping for a huge hit in Suicide Squad. Still, based on everything we've seen so far, Ayer's entry to the DCEU certainly has potential to be that hit.
Next: 15 Things You Need To Know About Harley Quinn
Suicide Squad opens in U.S. theaters on August 5, 2016, followed by Wonder Woman on June 2, 2017; Justice League on November 17, 2017; The Flash on March 16, 2018; Aquaman on July 27, 2018; an untitled DC Film on October 5, 2018; Shazam on April 5, 2019; Justice League Part Two on June 14, 2019; an untitled DC film on November 1, 2019; Cyborg on April 3, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps on July 24, 2020.