What Happened to Suicide Squad (franchise/film)?

The 'Suicide Squad' franchise began its cinematic journey with the 2016 film, which, despite a strong box office performance, received mixed to negative critical reviews for its uneven tone and narrative. This initial outing introduced audiences to a team of incarcerated supervillains forced by Amanda Waller to undertake dangerous black-ops missions in exchange for reduced sentences. While commercially successful, its reception prompted a re-evaluation of the property's direction within the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).

A significant turning point arrived with James Gunn's 2021 film, 'The Suicide Squad.' Positioned as a soft reboot, it retained some characters from the 2016 film while introducing a new ensemble and a distinct, R-rated, darkly comedic, and ultraviolent tone. Critically, Gunn's vision was widely praised for its writing, direction, and faithfulness to the comic book source material. However, despite critical acclaim, the film reportedly struggled at the box office, grossing a modest $168.7 million worldwide, a performance described as a 'major box office bomb.'

The success of Gunn's approach extended to television with the 'Peacemaker' series, a spin-off from 'The Suicide Squad' focusing on John Cena's character. The first season premiered on HBO Max in January 2022 to positive reviews. Its second season, which premiered on August 21, 2025, was explicitly integrated into the new DC Universe (DCU) under James Gunn and Peter Safran's leadership, taking place after the events of the 'Superman' film (2025). The second season also received critical acclaim, with some critics considering it superior to the first, though its finale garnered polarizing reactions. Following the conclusion of the second season in October 2025, Gunn announced there were no plans for a third season.

In the gaming sphere, the franchise expanded with 'Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League,' an action-adventure shooter developed by Rocksteady Studios and released on February 2, 2024. The game, a spin-off of the acclaimed 'Batman: Arkham' series, received mixed reviews, with critics praising its narrative and gameplay but criticizing its repetitive nature and live-service elements. Financially, the game was a significant disappointment for Warner Bros. Games, failing to meet sales expectations and leading to a reported $200 million loss. Warner Bros. Discovery attributed a 41% decline in year-over-year games revenue in August 2024 to the game's 'weak performance.' Rocksteady officially ended support for the game in January 2025, following its final post-launch story update.

As of August 2026, the future of a direct 'Suicide Squad' film within the new DCU remains uncertain. While 'The Suicide Squad' and 'Peacemaker' Season 1 have been retroactively incorporated into the DCU's continuity, there are currently no official plans for the team to return in a new film. James Gunn, now co-CEO of DC Studios, has been prolific in shaping the DCU, but the 2026 slate of DCU projects notably features no films or series written or directed by him, allowing other creative voices to contribute. Instead, a 'Bane & Deathstroke' movie is reportedly in development, which could potentially fill the thematic role previously held by the Suicide Squad in the DCU. The 'Waller' series, a 'Peacemaker' spin-off, was announced but later delayed, with its current status unclear.