James Gunn reportedly directing Suicide Squad 2

Guardians of the Galaxy helmer James Gunn is already set to write the script for the second Suicide Squad movie, and it looks like Gunn may also direct the film. Gunn has reportedly signed on to direct the sequel, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which would be his first directing gig since his separation from Disney and Marvel.

Last summer, Disney cut ties with Gunn and removed him from further Guardians of the Galaxy projects after the director’s old tweets were dug up by far-right reactionaries. While Gunn issued a full apology for his decade-old statements, and the cast of Guardians rallied their support for him, it was to no avail. Subsequently, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was put on hold.

Reportedly, the new Suicide Squad movie will focus on a different set of characters than the first and take on a vibe similar to Gunn’s other projects, specifically Guardians of the Galaxy. There are no reports on whether Jared Leto’s infamous Joker will return.

In addition to his work on the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Gunn also penned the live-action Scooby-Doo movies.

The second Suicide Squad movie is officially set for an August 2021 release.