While it’s nowhere to be found on the current upcoming DCU slate, there’s room for Suicide Squad 3 to happen down the line — even if it’s not made by James Gunn. The great thing about the Suicide Squad stories in the comics is that many of them feature new lineups because so many characters die in them. That allows the stories and creative takes on them to feel fresh, which is very much how The Suicide Squad film feels. Gunn took over writing and directing duties for The Suicide Squad from David Ayer, who helmed the first Suicide Squad movie in 2016. At the time, the DCEU was just getting underway and much of Warner Bros. (and DC Films) leadership looked different than it does today.
After several ups and downs in development, Suicide Squad 2 finally started to move forward with DCU head James Gunn, who was officially brought on board for the project in 2018. The Suicide Squad was ultimately released in theaters and on HBO Max in August 2021, almost three years after WB announced Gunn would be helming the film. With some of the main cast from the first film returning for the sequel, along with a variety of strange choices making up the new batch of characters, The Suicide Squad was poised to be an exciting step for DC Films. Now that the DCU under James Gunn and Peter Safran seems to be moving ahead full steam, what’s happening with Suicide Squad 3?
Unfortunately, the latest news for Suicide Squad 3 isn’t all that great. As of now, Suicide Squad 3 hasn’t been confirmed by James Gunn, meaning there is no casting news, release date, or production team attached. Gunn recently shared the upcoming slate of films for his revitalized DCU, and Suicide Squad 3 was not on the list. In addition, a fan tweeted the director, asking if Gunn would be interested in making another Suicide Squad. James Gunn’s reply wasn’t dismissive of the idea, but he did point out “I have some other stuff to do first.” It’s clear that Suicide Squad 3 isn’t a high priority on Gunn’s radar, at least for the time being. His recent slate of upcoming DC movies and shows — DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters — contains two TV projects with Amanda Waller though, so it’s possible at least one of these feeds into Suicide Squad 3.
Suicide Squad 3 isn’t confirmed yet. Unlike with the original film where WB put several spinoffs and sequel ideas into development, they’re taking it one step at a time now. James Gunn has discussed possibly making Suicide Squad 3 with an all-new team, but that wouldn’t be for some time given he’s focusing on revitalizing the DCU as a whole. Presumably, WB will wait to see how The Suicide Squad performs both at the box office and on streaming before making a decision on what to do, but that doesn’t mean a sequel isn’t on their mind. With Peacemaker season 2 on the way, the Suicide Squad franchise continues to expand. The beauty is that each film can be a full reset from what came before, enticing would-be writers and directors with total creative freedom.
Since Suicide Squad 3 hasn’t been confirmed and James Gunn is busy reforming the greater DCU, there is no Suicide Squad 3 release date. Gunn has the future of the DCU planned all the way out to 2025 and beyond, introducing both a new Batman and Superman. Therefore, if Suicide Squad 3 were to happen, it likely wouldn’t hit the big screen until 2026 or beyond.
There are no official announcements for the Suicide Squad 3 cast. Both Suicide Squad and The Suicide Squad saw a revolving door of DC antiheroes, with a few select characters appearing in both films, such as Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag. That being said, Flag is now deceased, so Joel Kinnaman obviously wouldn’t appear in a third installment. Suicide Squad has a wealth of different DC villain lineups to choose from, so if Suicide Squad 3 were to happen, there’s a chance that audiences would see an entirely new team.
Sadly, Rick Flag is dead. Throughout DC Comics’ history, various versions of Rick Flag have led Task Force X in Suicide Squad comics, which has also been the case for WB’s two Suicide Squad movies. But now that he’s dead, someone else will need to lead the team. Taking into account The Suicide Squad‘s post-credits scene, the Peacemaker TV series, and the fact that John Cena is a recognizable star worldwide, Peacemaker could certainly take charge of the next Task Force X team.
Peacemaker is the perfect soldier and someone who would obey Amanda Waller at any costs so long as her goals revolve around peace — and American interests. Beyond that, it’s difficult to deduce what the next story could be. It’s possible the Starro Project could come back to bite the U.S. government, but retreading on that story now that Starro is dead is unnecessary. More likely, another mission entirely separate from this one will take priority.
As of right now, there is no Suicide Squad 3 trailer. The third installment to the DCU franchise hasn’t been confirmed, and it’s not up on James Gunn’s current DCU slate. Therefore, until Suicide Squad 3 is officially greenlit, no trailer, promotional images, or BTS photos are available. Unfortunately, audiences will have to wait until Gunn brings up the topic again and considers revisiting the franchise.
