Suicide Squad's release squeezed into the tail end of the 2016 summer vacation slot.
On the second day of release, media from all sides published reviews, and like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in May, they were mixed.
"Suicide Squad is exactly what DC needs most. This film not only lets people thoroughly enjoy it but is sure to achieve commercial success. DC movies lag behind Marvel films in beautiful action scenes and humorous banter. Suicide Squad breaks through that; the Easter eggs keep comic fans curious, while the tense action fully satisfies viewers." —Complex review.
"Suicide Squad is an adventure—avant-garde name, avant-garde script, plus a bunch of characters unfamiliar to audiences outside DC fans, and the first DC film directed by someone other than Zack Snyder. However, Suicide Squad accomplishes what Man of Steel couldn't: pulling the entire DC cinematic universe forward. We have reason to believe this is the DC film universe's most satisfying work." —Trespass review.
"On the surface, it might seem overly edgy for a kid-friendly superhero movie, but it doesn't; instead, it becomes a potent remedy for the heavy, verbose DC superhero blockbusters. The film's characters leave a deeper impression than the plot—after all, the story can't escape the clichéd city-saving trope. But they're villains among villains; their world is incredibly interesting, even a bit profound." —Timeout London review.
"The film isn't a disaster; compared to Batman v Superman, at least its script holds together. But it's not excellent either—just a mediocre work about rebellion and redemption." —Washington Post review.
"On the surface, it could be an antidote to the formulaic superhero movie rut. But in the end, it's just a higher-postured version of the same; I don't see two points of excellence, except for the Joker Girl's posing—the film has little else standout." —Entertainment Weekly review.
Online, the film's Rotten Tomatoes score wasn't too promising, with a freshness rating of only 53%. Out of 77 reviews so far, 41 fresh (positive) and 36 rotten (negative). This score was passable compared to true flops but ranked at the bottom among Martin's films.
Of course, since it was just the premiere, more fans hadn't seen the movie yet, so this rating was temporary.
The next day.
The film began large-scale screenings.
Masses of movie fans flooded the theaters.
And the main cast's promotional tour kicked off.
After the first weekend's three days, Margot Robbie could clearly feel her fame exploding. Whether in Chicago, Miami, or Las Vegas, wherever she went, fans held up her posters—even some confessed in public.
Liu Yifei was hot too; the Japanese Swordswoman's display of a completely different sensuality from the Joker Girl likewise lit up many viewers' eyes.
"Mom, can you stop following me? It's too embarrassing."
"What's there to fear? Just treat me like your manager."
"Mom, look at the crew—who brings a manager on promo tours?"
"Everyone's looking at me funny."
"Then treat me like your assistant. Daughter, Mom's doing this for your own good. Hollywood's a messy circle."
Liu Yifei was speechless, helplessly glancing at Martin not far away.
Martin shrugged helplessly too, indicating he had no solution.
After a day of promo, back at the hotel, Liu's mom followed her daughter into the room. Martin had no chance to make a move and could only return to his own.
Liu's mom's protection game was too on point.
Margot Robbie, seeing Martin and Liu Yifei's helpless exchange before entering their rooms, couldn't help but snicker.
Back in his room, Martin's phone rang.
He checked.
It was Leonardo calling.
"Hey, man, I gotta ask you something."
"What is it?"
"You... you didn't sleep with Margot, right?"
Martin laughed. "You dog—tell me, do you regret it?"
"Fuck, I do regret it." On the other end, Leonardo was frank. "It's all because you made the Harley Quinn so sexy, so captivating. Honestly, are you with Margot?"
"No."
"Really?" The voice on the line turned delighted.
"Really—I have no interest in doing my brother's ex." Martin said irritably.
"Haha, that's a good habit; keep it up. I won't bother you then. Bye."
With that, Leonardo hung up.
Martin guessed the guy must be calling Margot Robbie next. Should he call Blake...?
...
The first weekend's three days, Suicide Squad raked in 141 million USD at the North American box office under polarized reviews, breaking the North American August opening weekend box office record.
The previous record holder was Guardians of the Galaxy with 94.3 million USD.
Suicide Squad's opening ranked third among this year's films, behind Captain America: Civil War and Batman v Superman, but those two had much larger budgets than Suicide Squad.
Suicide Squad not only succeeded hugely in North America; globally synchronized release results showed it grossed 145 million USD in 57 other regions.
In three days, the global total reached 286.2 million USD, becoming the 18th highest opening weekend in film history.
Meanwhile, in the coming week, Suicide Squad's drop was within Warner and Meyers Films' expectations, not exceeding 50%—much better than Batman v Superman.
Suicide Squad's performance also gave the tormented Warner and DC a much-needed sedative after Batman v Superman.
"Ah, Martin's still reliable. Calling him the 'superhero savior' is spot on."
At a Warner exec meeting, Alan Horn sighed.
One exec said: "Martin's great, but his price is ruthless. For our upcoming Wonder Woman and The Flash plans, should we involve him?"
"I don't think it's necessary," another exec said. "The failure of Batman v Superman wasn't the director's fault but the screenwriter's—too much smuggling. Since Suicide Squad found the right direction for us, future scripts should follow this style—like Wonder Woman; we can highlight Gal Gadot's long legs."
"Makes sense; Zack Snyder's directing skill is fine. Even without Zack, we can find others, like the one from Iron Man 2. As long as the script's solid, superhero movies are basically that."
Alan Horn thought and said: "Wonder Woman and The Flash can go without Martin's involvement, but the Aquaman he once wanted to shoot—we can keep that option. Just in case..."
Clearly, Alan Horn was scared by Batman v Superman and wanted a backup.