Mel Gibson to Direct 'Suicide Squad 2'?

News broke this week that Mel Gibson, controversial director of Hacksaw Ridge, is on the short list to direct the upcoming sequel to Suicide Squad. Reaction to the news was mixed, with some observers praising Gibson's ability to direct fight scenes and others balking at Gibson's tendency to fall into off-screen controversies.

Gibson confirmed that he is in talks with Warner Bros. to direct the film, but any deal is still far off. The actor/director/producer has had something of a career resurgence since the success of Hacksaw Ridge, which has helped to overshadow his PR troubles. His career was hobbled in recent years after several high-profile incidents in which he went on anti-semitic and sexist rants and had drunken clashes with the law.

Other directors reportedly on the short list to direct the Suicide Squad sequel include Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), Daniel Espinosa (Safe House), and Jonathan Levine (Warm Bodies).

The film does not currently have even a tentative release date, but speculation is that it is likely to hit theaters sometime in 2019.