Now that we know the “Snyder cut” of Justice League is real, or will be once Warner Bros. drops another “$20-30 million” for director Zack Snyder to, I dunno, get Jason Momoa to say “my man” a few more times, Twitter has been crowded with suggestions for alternate “cuts.” Most of them, like Game of Thrones or the infamous “butthole cut” of Cats, are jokes, but the #ReleaseTheAyerCut folks aren’t kidding around. How ironic.
Around the same time that HBO Max announced that the “real” Justice League will be hitting the streaming service in 2021, Suicide Squad director David Ayer tweeted, “Mr. J’s version of the beginning,” along with a photo of… something (it’s pseudo-religious scribblings interrupted by the occasional “HA!”), and a nightmarish GIF of Jared Leto’s Joker. “I AM DIFFERENT FUCK YOUR OPINION,” it reads in flashing text. Twisted.
Mr. J’s version of the beginning… pic.twitter.com/nfLyimLJc9
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) May 20, 2020
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) May 20, 2020
Ayer’s tweets, along with his candidness over how much reshoots altered his vision (“Diablo survived originally, Harley and Deadshot hooked up as a couple. This was changed during reshoots,” he recently tweeted), has led to #ReleaseTheAyerCut to trend on social media. “Suicide Squad always was a prequel to Justice League,” a typical tweet goes, “so might as well make mine a double @hbomax and #ReleaseTheAyerCut,” goes a typical tweet. Or another: “Let’s open the Conversation about David Ayer Suicide Squad version. Let’s do it. Also Ayer cut is more complete than Snyder Cut, This baby is ready to go #ReleaseTheAyerCut.” This about sums it up:
https://twitter.com/GEDDUM1/status/1263270521887735809
Other reactions are more enthusiastic:
Let's make this real!! #ReleaseTheAyerCut #DavidAyersSuicideSquad pic.twitter.com/J6XvsQpgZK
— Chelowino (@Chelowino) May 21, 2020
One Down, one more to go #ZackSnydersJusticeLeague #ReleaseTheAyerCut pic.twitter.com/gbpztWxAbc
— Harley Quinn Updates (@HarleyMovieNews) May 20, 2020
Now that the Snyder cut will be coming out next year, I believe the Ayer cut will be available this year on HBO MAX. The Ayer cut I'm told is far more completed, doesn't need much to finish #ReleaseTheAyerCut @DavidAyerMovies please fight for us, we got your back.
— The Louis Centeno Show (@Superman0621) May 21, 2020
We need to keep going. #ReleaseTheAyerCut pic.twitter.com/Ec3JzNsTzD
— NATHAN #FreePalestine 🇵🇸 (@Nathan_DGR) May 21, 2020
Huge Congratulations to @RTSnyderCut and the entire movement, YOU DID IT!!!
We are now more convinced we can win for @DavidAyerMovies for his SS #ReleaseTheAyerCut pic.twitter.com/ColKZCPrO3— ReleaseTheAyerCut (@RTAyerCutSS) May 20, 2020
If Jared Leto tweets “#ReleaseTheAyerCut,” may god have mercy on us all. (Luckily, he won’t, because he’s probably on another silent meditation retreat in the desert.)