Yesterday the rather shocking news of Mel Gibson being considered for director of Suicide Squad 2 was released.  Some, like Megan Reynolds at Jezebel.com, reacted…quite negatively:

Great, Mel Gibson is in talks to direct a Suicide Squad sequel

Today comes an article on comicbook.com and written by Jay Jayson notes that Mel Gibson himself has confirmed during a screening of his film Hacksaw Ridge that he was in consideration for the movie’s director.  While Warner Brothers is in contact with other potential directors, Mr. Jayson’s article states that the job is his “if he wants it”:

Mel Gibson confirms he is in talks with WB to direct Suicide Squad 2

Now I’m slowly, inevitably, becoming an old fart.  I know it, my body reminds me of it constantly (damn it!), and the greys in my hair and the wrinkles I see in the mirror reinforce this fact.

I point this out because unlike others, I’m old enough to have lived through Mel Gibson’s entire career arc.

My first big exposure to him was in local theaters via what I consider one of the all time best action films ever made, the 1981 flick The Road Warrior (aka Mad Max 2)…

So impressed was I with Mel Gibson that I eagerly sought out the first Mad Max film, released in 1979 and found it a great first stab at the world of Max.  I caught him in some other films, most notably the now forgotten Attack Force Z (also released in 1981)…

I point out Attack Force Z because this film was essentially an Australian version of The Dirty Dozen, the film which I strongly suspect was on the mind of John Ostrander, the writer who co-created the modern super-villain version of The Suicide Squad…

Fast forward many years and I watch as Mel Gibson becomes a box office behemoth.  His Lethal Weapon films are incredibly successful while he expands his career between action/adventure films and more “serious” dramatic roles such as those in The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), Mrs. Soffel (1984) and Hamlet (1990).  Then, in 1993, Mr. Gibson acts in and directs his first film, The Man Without a Face.  While that film isn’t particularly well remembered today, his follow up certainly is, 1995’s Braveheart.

Since then, Mr. Gibson’s directed The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto, and, most recently, Hacksaw Ridge.  While The Passion of the Christ was not without its controversy, almost every one of Mr. Gibson’s directorial films, whether they feature him in the lead role of not, has been met with considerable critical acclaim, even his most recent films.

This despite what is clearly on everyone’s mind when they think of Mr. Gibson: The meltdown he experienced back in 2006.

Let’s be damn blunt here: Mr. Gibson’s actions back then were vile.  While Mr. Gibson has repeatedly apologized for his grotesque behavior and racist rants and noted they were made at a time he abused alcohol and was in the throes of emotional problems, the fact is that when most people today see or hear about Mr. Gibson, that’s what they think about.

So its not all that surprising there’s already a negative reaction to the idea that he might be involved in Suicide Squad 2.

Me?

Perhaps because I’ve followed his career for so long I’m a little more forgiving.

Anyone who’s been around here any length of time knows I enjoyed Batman v Superman.  Suicide Squad, on the other hand, is a much harder film to defend.  From a story standpoint, the film was a complete mess.  What made it tolerable was the fact that it had considerable energy, humor, as well as fun acting by Will Smith and Margot Robbie.

Yet one can’t help but feel this was a missed opportunity.  Looking at The Dirty Dozen (or, indeed, Attack Force Z), there is a way to make a Suicide Squad film that is gripping, humorous, blunt, and, once it finishes, leaves audiences satisfied.

Given Mel Gibson’s career, both as actor and director, I’m inclined to think he easily has the skills to make a Suicide Squad film that works.

The question is whether Warner Brothers can take the critical heat from the public while the film is being worked on…and whether they can do this while allowing Mr. Gibson a free hand at making the type of film he will surely want to make.

Assuming all this is possible and Mr. Gibson releases a *gasp* good Suicide Squad film, is it possible Mr. Gibson, the person, can be redeemed in the eyes of the public?

That most certainly remains to be seen.