Why Does 'The Suicide Squad' Trailer Actually Have People Excited?

You may remember David Ayer's 2016 Suicide Squad was pretty much universally disliked. So why does the trailer for James Gunn's upcoming sequel have people so hyped?

Warner Brothers dropped the trailer for the new film today. It stars Idris Elba, John Cena and Margot Robbie, among others.

#TheSuicideSquad in theaters and streaming on HBOMax</a> August 2021.<br>*Available on <a href="https://twitter.com/hbomax?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">HBOMax in the US only, for 31 days, at no extra cost to subscribers. pic.twitter.com/kw5E9ENAAv

— Warner Bros. Pictures (@wbpictures) March 26, 2021

For starters, people seem excited that it's in the hands of James Gunn, who directed the colorful and whimsical Guardians of the Galaxy films, rather than Ayer.

Still wild to me that James Gunn crossed over from Troma/horror world into big budget superhero world, and that he continues to get the creative freedom to make James Gunn Movies every time. His personality is all over the trailer for The Suicide Squad. pic.twitter.com/3S7rt9sFWy

— John Squires (@FreddyInSpace) March 26, 2021

James Gunn is gonna teach David Ayer how to do a Suicide Squad movie

— ⨂ Alan ⨂ (@AJCI282002) March 26, 2021

Hey, @JamesGunn and all involved with #TheSuicideSquad. 👏👏👏
Hell. Yes. https://t.co/AMK9ZDbfnj

— Tom Taylor (@TomTaylorMade) March 26, 2021

It also helps that the cast seems much more suited to a lighthearted supervillain romp than the dreary Ayer version (Leto's Joker is nowhere in sight). Elba steps in for Will Smith as "Bloodsport" and has a much more "disappointed dad" vibe while Nathan Fillion, Pete Davidson, Peter Capaldi and Sylvester Stallone seem to give the film a much more comedic tone.

“If this whole beach was completely covered in dicks, and somebody said I had to eat every dick until the beach was clean for liberty, I would say no problemo!”

- John Cena in Suicide Squad 😂 https://t.co/XGdmaPdQa9

— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) March 26, 2021

#TheSuicideSquad Trailer looks huge (not just John Cena) & Fun!! Huge part that saved the first movie was the chemistry between the cast, it looks like Gunn has replicated that this time around, character costumes are Corny but it suits the tone they are going for, Can't Wait!!! pic.twitter.com/Dyabmxrrw0

— Movies That Maher w The Viking (@MoviesThatMaher) March 26, 2021

I'm at the point where I will watch anything with John Cena: Actor, but also, "Guardians of the Galaxy but R-Rated" seems interesting enough on its own merits. https://t.co/slDfORfNnk

— Luis Paez-Pumar (@lppny) March 26, 2021

It's a pretty stark turnaround for the public perception of Suicide Squad, a franchise whose first entry seems widely regarded as a miss. The movie's set to simultaneously release in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6th.