There’s been a lot of talk about Suicide Squad in the weeks leading up to its release on August 5th. But not all of it has been very positive. Actually, most of it has been pretty terrible, especially this week. In case you haven’t been keeping up, let’s recap:

David Ayer cooks the beef well done on a double with cheese.

Sorry about getting caught up in the moment and saying f*ck Marvel. Someone said it. I echoed. Not cool. Respect for my brother filmmakers.

— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) August 2, 2016

The Suicide Squad director apparently let us all know what’s really real at the New York premiere. He apologized for it afterward on Twitter. But like 40’s mama says, don’t ask permission, just ask forgiveness. There have been no return shots from[ anyone in the Marvel camp, but you know the fanboys and girls are going to town. Mr. Ayer poured gasoline on an already raging fire. You would hope that after a jab like that the movie would deliver, right?

But Rotten Tomatoes says nah.

In a repeat of Batman v Superman-like disappointment, the critics are ripping this one to shreds. Headlines that include words such as soul-sickening, fumble, and worst are being tossed around like hot cakes. It’s not good, fam. Things have gotten so bad that an actual petition has been created to remove Rotten Tomatoes from the internet. That’s how upset some DC Comics fans are.

I was offered tickets to an early screening of the movie, but I couldn’t go because of my family reunion. I was extra hurt. However, several friends who had better luck than me didn’t have good reports either. These are dark times, indeed.

Those trailers were really dope though.

Worst. Heroes. Ever. 😈#SuicideSquad 6pm screenings tomorrow, everywhere FRIDAY. https://t.co/xYMUR8BBcg https://t.co/zoVOOn8zV6

— Suicide Squad (@SuicideSquadWB) August 3, 2016

Yes, they were. And they had us all excited. To keep it all the way real, I’m still excited. But this might be the reason why: The word on the grapevine is that things between Warner Brothers and David Ayer, the 50 Cent of comic book movie directors, were not as good as we thought. They had different ideas about how Suicide Squad should play out. This resulted in two different edits of the film. One version was Ayer’s vision, and the other was by Trailer Park, the company who put together the fun, exciting trailers we all loved. It’s not hard to guess which cut the studio liked best. Now, none of this is on the record of course. But the reviews definitely make it seem like that’s what happened.

At least it’s not the casting department’s fault.

Will Smith leads #SuicideSquad cast chant and celebrates the movie’s kickass diversity: https://t.co/7drEu91xKg pic.twitter.com/VZ97aZfcEe

— Ashley Lee (@cashleelee) August 2, 2016

Suicide Squad is the DCEU’s most (only) diverse cast to date. We’re always pushing for more representation for black actors and all actors of color, so they got that part right. Hopefully, it’s a trend DC and everyone else will continue. Plus, the celebrity power/talent pool that this collective ensemble cast had is arguably as good as you can get. Many reviews say Will Smith was the clear leader and driving force of the film. Was the melanin alone enough to make it an enjoyable film experience? I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Suicide Squad is in theaters this Friday, August 5th. Find out then.

Let me know what you think in the comments, because I read and reply to all of them. Hit the share button and tag a friend who needs to see this.

Want more articles by Ira Hobbs? Sign up for Blavity’s daily newsletter.

DC's most diverse film

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week