No, Warner Bros.' "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" didn't quite hit it off with fans and critics like the studio had hoped. "Batman v Superman," viewed as a launching pad for the DC Extended Universe, needed to be a critical and financial hit and that generated excitement and anticipation for the studio's future plans. Instead, the film was met with a fair share of disappointment and missed expectations, though it deserves some credit for its ambition. But the recent rumor that has been gaining traction in recent weeks that "Batman v Superman's" direct DCEU follow up, this summer's "Suicide Squad," is undergoing massive reshoots as a direct response to the negative feedback is just plain wrong.
Forget for a moment that these reshoots were scheduled long before "Batman v Superman" ever saw the light of day. Forget for a moment that every single blockbuster tentpole sets aside time for reshoots - including Marvel's "Captain America: Civil War" - and that this is a common industry practice. All you need to do is listen to the movie's director, David Ayer, for an explanation.
#SuicideSquad “reshoots for humor” is silly. When a studio loves your movie and asks what else you want, go for it! #ThanksWB #moreaction
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) April 11, 2016
"Suicide Squad" has always been viewed as a slightly darker version of Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy." Warner Bros isn't all of a sudden turning it into an outright comedy to combat the backlash from "Batman v Superman." This isn't a "World War Z"-level overhaul. Warner Bros. is actually staying the course they put in place years ago when "Suicide Squad" was first added to the release schedule.
Even star Jai Courtney thinks the movie-going public is making too much of this story.
"I wouldn't say we're going back to make it funnier, there's some additional action stuff that we've been doing, which is pretty dope," he said. "Really we're just kind of adding in that sense."
The main issues with "Batman v Superman" weren't necessarily the darker tones and less mainstream aesthetic. Really, the film's failures come down to narrative storytelling flaws, shoddy characterizations of our beloved heroes and an overstuffed storyline. All these issues can be attributed to director Zack Snyder.
Warner Bros. doesn't need to re-adjust their entire approach to the DCEU. It's actually nice to have a counter-balance for Marvel's happy-go-lucky tone. Instead, what the studio needs to do is focus on making quality films that can stand on their own legs, while including passing nods to the greater DCEU.
So, no, "Suicide Squad" isn't going through a total makeover. It's going to be its own thing and it will either fail or succeed on its own merits. If the most recent trailer is any indication, it's going to be the latter.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
