David Ayer takes social media break as he gets threats for supporting James Gunn's Superman: I’m just lost at this point
Suicide Squad director David Ayer has faced online attacks from a section of DCEU fans after he said he was excited for ‘rival’ James Gunn's Superman.
The trailer for James Gunn's Superman is set to be released later on Thursday, and the entire fandom is excited. David Ayer, the filmmaker best known for Suicide Squad, also threw his weight behind the upcoming reboot. However, the director did not anticipate the hate coming his way after that, causing him to step back from social media for a while. (Also read: James Gunn's next Superman project repurposes Leader Building into The Daily Planet)
Gunn's Superman will launch a new DC Universe, different from the DCEU (DC Extended Universe), in which Henry Cavill played Superman and Zack Snyder was the leading creative force. As David Corenswet's Superman replaces Cavill now, many of Snyder's fans are angry and openly campaigning against the new film, as Ayer found out.
Why was David Ayer attacked
David Ayer's Suicide Squad, part of the DCEU, has been the subject of a revival campaign. The filmmaker recently asked fans to halt that campaign as Superman's trailer was launching and urged them to support the new film. "I didn’t realize James was dropping Creature Commandos when the last Ayer cut campaign hit. The new Superman trailer is dropping soon and I know there’s intentions of another campaign for my version of Skwad. As a film makers I want to support other film makers. I’m excited to see the trailer and have heard through the rumor mill it’s pretty incredible. I just want to publicly say it would be nice to stay far clear of Thursday for any campaigning. I appreciate everyone hearing me out. At the end of the day I’m riding a tiger here. Just going in heard on this," he wrote on social media.
This request, however, was met with opposition from DCEU fans, who accused Ayer of being a 'traitor to the cause'. Many wrote vile comments in response, even sending him threats and calling him a 'sellout' on various social media platforms.
David Ayer takes social media break
On Wednesday, Ayer took to X (formerly Twitter) again and expressed his disappointment at the online attacks. "My Lord. If supporting another film maker is so contentious, I’m just lost at this point. When I was a kid I had a nightmare childhood. My best friends were comic books. They held me and gave me company when no one else did. Batman spoke to my injured soul. Superman’s optimism was an example how to see the world without darkness. I cannot fucking wait to see Jame’s trailer. Real talk. And I cannot wait to see his film. And absolutely am sure he crushed it. Because that simple optimism of Superman is all over it. And the little kid in me needs that right now. I’m a bad guy for that? So be it. I do troll what I can control. And can’t what I can’t. Gonna step back from all this for a moment," he said.
About James Gunn's Superman
Superman stars David Corenswet in the titular role and is the third film reboot of the character in the last two decades after the ones starring Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill. James Gunn directs the film, which also features Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and Neva Howell. It is set to be released on July 11, 2025.
