I'm enormously excited about directing 'The Suicide Squad': James Gunn

Filmmaker James Gunn says he is "excited" to direct the much-anticipated "Suicide Squad" reboot.

"I am in pre-production on 'The Suicide Squad', which I am enormously excited about," Gunn told Entertainment Weekly.

Previously, WWE wrestler-turned-actor John Cena was reported to be in early negotiations to board Gunn’s upcoming Suicide Squad sequel.

If things work out, Cena will be joining Idris Elba and Margot Robbie in Warner Bros’ follow-up to 2016’s Suicide Squad. According to Variety, it’s currently unknown who Cena and Elba will be playing. Robbie will be reprising her role of Harley Quinn and Jai Courtney is back as Captain Boomerang.

The tentpole is scheduled to release on August 6, 2021. The film will mark Cena’s first comic-book role.

Last year in August, it was announced that Gunn has come on board to write, and possibly direct, the new "Suicide Squad" film. The revelation was made just a month after Disney fired Gunn as the director of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" following a controversy which erupted over his old, off-colour tweets.

This year in March, Disney announced that it was reinstating Gunn as the director of "Guardians 3", on which he will work after finishing "The Suicide Squad". 

READ | Here's What Chris Pratt Has To Say About James Gunn Being Rehired To Direct Guardians Of The Galaxy 3

On the sidelines of "Avengers: Endgame" premiere, Chris Pratt told Entertainment Weekly that Disney made the "right move" to reinstate Gunn.

"I was so thrilled, so excited. I think it's the right move, I really stand behind it. I'm really proud of Disney for hiring James back and ultimately thrilled for not only us but also for the fans. I think it's going to wrap up the trilogy in the best way," the actor said.

The 39-year-old actor portrays Peter Quill aka Star-Lord in the series, which also features Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper as the titular "Guardians".

Gunn had come under massive controversy last July over nearly a decade old tweets joking about the subjects like rape and paedophile after which the Walt Disney Studios chairman, Alan Horn, had termed his behaviour “indefensible” and had cut off ties with him. 

Gunn earlier apologized for the tweets, which he called “unfortunate efforts to be provocative.