Though 2016's Suicide Squad actually performed pretty well at the box office, critics were far from won over by the first big-screen outing for the Task Force X crew, and it's still widely regarded as one of the worst entries in the DCEU franchise.
It's been well documented that director David Ayer originally had a very different vision for the movie, and he has spoken several times about how Warner Bros. altered the final product almost beyond recognition, releasing a wildly inconsistent, bastardized version into theaters.
During a recent appearance on Jon Bernthal's Real Ones podcast, Ayer once again opened up about his negative experience while working on the movie.
The Punisher actor, who Ayer worked with on Fury, asked the filmmaker what the most difficult time he’s experienced in Hollywood was.
“Hollywood—I tell people—is like watching someone you love get [frick]ed by someone you hate,” explained Ayer. “The big one is Suicide Squad. That shit broke me. That handed me my ass.”
"Come right off Fury, right? I had the town in my hand—could’ve done anything, and I did do anything. And go on this journey with [Suicide Squad]. And the same thing—authentic, truthful, let’s do all the rehearsal, let’s really get in each other’s souls. Let’s create this amazing, collaborative thing, right? And then Deadpool opened, and they never tested Batman v. Superman, so they were expecting a different result and then they got hammered by all the critics. Then it’s like, ‘Okay, we’re going to turn David Ayer’s dark, soulful movie into a [frick]ing comedy now.’”
The director continues to campaign for the release of his "Ayer Cut" of Suicide Squad, and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has reportedly assured him that he will get the opportunity to share his true vision for the movie with the world at some point.