Suicide Squad 2 taps Gavin O'Connor as writer-director

Suicide Squad 2 has found its director.

Gavin O'Connor is in final negotiations to write and direct the sequel to Warner Bros.' all-star supervillain flick, EW has confirmed.

The filmmaker previously worked with Ben Affleck — who plays Bruce Wayne/Batman in the DC Extended Universe — on the WB crime thriller The Accountant (which is also up for a sequel). O'Connor's other credits include Jane Got a Gun, Warrior, and Miracle.

O'Connor takes the reins from David Ayer, whose initial Suicide Squad outing grossed $745 million at the worldwide box office but took a critical beating and underwhelmed fans. Starring Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and Jared Leto as the Joker, the presumptive franchise follows a ragtag group of uber-criminals who are compelled to carry out dangerous black-ops missions in exchange for commuted sentences.

Deadline Hollywood first reported the news.