Suicide Squad’s newest trailer shows how badly DC wants to goof off

With the exception of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it’s hard to remember the last film that got this much advance press, but unlike Star Wars, the news on Suicide Squad has skewed pretty negative overall. Case in point: Recent reports that indicated the film was undergoing reshoots to make it more fun.

As the studio deals with the fallout from the poorly-received, inexplicably dour Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros. is rethinking its approach to the DC film universe and — with that in mind — the lighthearted, joke-filled tone of this latest spot (embedded above) is no surprise. What is surprising (and somewhat ironic) is that the Caped Crusader actually has a couple of quick cameos here, which begin around the 1:43 mark.

While reports indicated that nearly every joke in the entire film was featured in the rip-roaring, Bohemian Rhapsody-backed official trailer #2, there are plenty of new ones in this two-minute-and-30-second spot, which has been dubbed “The Blitz Trailer.” From Harley Quinn’s (Margot Robbie) vexing personality, to El Diablo’s (Jay Hernandez) apt drink of choice, to Deadshot’s (Will Smith) wisecracks, everything is mined for humor and fun. Backed by The Sweet’s Ballroom Blitz, even the soundtrack says “let the good times roll.”

The problem is, if this film was initially shot to be dark, gritty, and serious, no amount of reshooting and rebranding is going to totally paper over the original intent.

At this point, it feels like this project is a total wildcard. Whether it’s a hit, a bomb, or somewhere in-between is anybody’s guess.

Suicide Squad hits theaters August 5, 2016.