Despite Task Force X’s first cinematic outing having proved divisive amongst critics and moviegoers alike, it’s impossible to deny that it was actually a box office success and a merchandising monster. Thus, it really comes as no surprise that Warner Bros. are said to have put Suicide Squad 2 on the fast-track.
Regardless of whatever side of the fence you may be on, odds are that you’ll agree two characters stole the show, those, of course, being Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Will Smith’s Deadshot. Given that, the studio would be wise to not allow either to sit on the shelf for long. Granted, we know there’s a Joker and Harley Quinn spinoff in development, but that won’t arrive until sometime after Suicide Squad 2 has seen release.
Now, logic would dictate that the wait for the offshoot will be somewhat lengthy, but depending on when the next team-up actually gets out the door, we could be looking at a one-year gap between them if the respective groups of filmmakers are able to get the ball rolling.
There is a bit of a snag, however. According to Variety’s Justin Kroll, cameras likely won’t start rolling on Suicide Squad 2 until fall of 2018 due to Will Smith’s commitment to two other projects:
So hearing at the earliest, SUICIDE SQUAD 2 won't go in to production until fall 2018 because of Smith's schedule with ALADDIN and GEMINI
— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) August 29, 2017
While that’s entirely believable, it’s not outside of the realm of possibility for pre-production to begin well before then, so we could be off to the races once Smith’s schedule is freed up. Like we said, both Smith and Robbie are key to the winning formula, thus it’s very doubtful the powers that be will risk letting either one of them escape their grasp.
Still, we hope that the cast and crew take their time with Suicide Squad 2 so that it may surpass the original. Usually, a blockbuster such as this sees release about a year after going into production, raising questions as to when its theatrical date may fall. Summertime is obviously ideal, but rushing this isn’t worth the risk. It’s no secret that 2019 is looking to be chock full of superhero and event films, and it’d be especially unwise to put this out within close proximity to another DC flick like, say, Wonder Woman 2.