Suicide Squad Was Never Going to Be Rated R | Screen Rant
2016's Suicide Squad was never going to be rated R, according to director David Ayer. By now, the story of Suicide Squad's behind the scenes issues is well-known. Ayer set out to make what he has described as a "soulful drama" when directing Suicide Squad, the first DCEU movie centered on the team of villains and anti-heroes. However, Warner Bros. was worried after audiences responded poorly to the dark Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and instead embraced the wildly comedic Deadpool. The studio implemented numerous changes to Ayer's Suicide Squad, leaving the director with a version of the film that didn't match his original vision.
Ayer has spoken openly in recent months about what was altered in Suicide Squad, from how there's a different opening in his cut involving Enchantress (Cara Delevigne) to a larger role for Jared Leto's controversial Joker. Each new revelation has caused fans to mount a campaign with the purpose of getting Warner Bros. to release Ayer's cut of Suicide Squad, similar to how the Justice League Snyder Cut came about. Now, Ayer has revealed a little bit more about the process behind his Suicide Squad, though this time, he's nixing what many might have believed to be true.
On social media, some fans began imagining a sex scene in Ayer's Suicide Squad cut between the Joker and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). When one said Ayer had been gunning for an R rating for Suicide Squad, Ayer firmly shut that idea down. "It was never going to be R and I cannot imagine a more inappropriate scene," he said, adding a blushing emoji for good measure. "Core demo for CBMs is kids."
In recent years, R-rated comic book movies have been on the rise, with Deadpool, Joker, and the Harley Quinn-fronted Birds of Prey being prime examples. However, it's important to remember that they weren't as common back in 2016 (as Deadpool really stood out upon its release), and that even now, PG-13 is still the usual way to go when it comes to the superhero genre. Studios often wish to reach the largest audience possible, which is why they go for PG-13 ratings. Ayer likely knew this going into Suicide Squad, and while he might have wanted to direct an R version of the film, he evidently never considered it seriously.
Meanwhile, the campaign for the Ayer Cut continues on. Ayer has told fans to reach out directly to Warner Bros. and HBO Max to make it happen, but so far there has been no official announcement. Of course, the Snyder Cut took three years to achieve its goal, so that doesn't mean Ayer's Suicide Squad is never going to happen. For now, though, fans will have to remain content with Ayer simply sharing the differences between his version of the film and the studio's.
Source: David Ayer/Twitter