In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Batman, Mera, the Flash, Cyborg, Deathstroke, and the Joker unthinkably work together to save the world. There is also jaw-dropping Darkseid footage, significantly more focus on Cyborg and the Flash, a plethora of extended action sequences, and a chilling vision of a post-apocalyptic future. For DC fans who felt underwhelmed by 2017’s Justice League, it is, in essence, a feast.
The appearance of Jared Leto’s Joker in Snyder’s dreadful future scenario for the DC world has received a lot of attention. A striking new depiction of the character is shown in the movie: A long-haired, battle-worn version of the iconic clown has replaced the gaudy face tattoos, metal teeth grills, and flashy clothes. How did this change take place? As diehard DC fans may attest, not easy. Jared Leto’s portrayal of the Joker has a complicated backstory that is riddled with theories, fervent fans, and unanswered questions. This is the Joker’s secret story, as played by Jared Leto.
A brand new Joker design
It is unexpected enough that the Joker is a member of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The fact that this Joker is completely redone is even more astounding. The visible grill, the short hair, and the tattoos are all gone. Instead, we discover a future Joker who is weary of the apocalypse and has long hair, many scars, and a painful chuckle. His flashy gangster attire has been replaced with long, threadbare clothing, which makes sense given that his criminal empire would have to collapse in such a desolate place. Photos that were made public prior to the publication of Zack Snyder’s Justice League indicated this change in style: Compared to the neon criminal we saw in 2016, they show a scary, worn-out, and significantly more terrifying version of the character.
These stylistic modifications are intended to reflect adjustments in the character’s situation. In a Stephen Colbert interview, Leto stated that the Snyder Joker and the Suicide Squad Joker are “several years apart.” When compared to how the Suicide Squad design was received, the new look received a largely favourable response.
Could there be more Joker in the Ayer cut?
Fans started pushing for the release of a “Ayer cut” of Suicide Squad as excitement for Zack Snyder’s Justice League increased. Fans have a lot of ammunition because David Ayer has maintained repeatedly that the Suicide Squad that was released in theatres significantly deviates from his planned vision. The “initial 40 minutes” of the movie, according to Ayer, were trimmed. A strategy that was abandoned involved the movie also being intimately connected to Justice League (the Enchantress was going to be under the power of a Mother Box).
Despite the enthusiasm of the fans, Ann Sarnoff, CEO of WarnerMedia Studios, has openly declared, “We won’t be developing David Ayer’s cut.”
Fans quickly intensified their “#ReleaseTheAyerCut” campaign. The prospects for the Ayer cut appear bleak, but given the success of the Snyder cut, who knows?
Getting cast as the Clown Prince of Crime
Later revisions by David Ayer included the Joker as a crucial component of the narrative. Even Ryan Gosling was first considered for the part before Leto was even considered for the part. Similar to Harley Quinn, the Joker’s lifelong love interest, Cara Delevingne was almost cast as the Enchantress before she landed the part.
Leto was evasive before the casting news was released. He had considered taking the title role in Doctor Strange, believe it or not, but Marvel wanted a bigger name for the part to sell a lesser-known character to audiences. This prompted Leto to approach Warner Bros., who were thrilled to have the opportunity to cast the Academy Award–winning performer in such a legendary character. The rest is tattooed, nightclub-running, purple-suited history.
His viral line in Zack Snyder’s Justice League was ad-libbed
Fans rejoiced at the new footage of Darkseid, improved battle scenes, and Steppenwolf’s all-new appearance in Zack Snyder’s Justice League teaser, which debuted on February 14. Another intriguing innovation was also introduced: At the very end of the teaser, we catch a glimpse of a sequence involving Ben Affleck’s Batman and Jared Leto’s Joker. The Joker mutters, with his back to the camera, “In the culture in which we live, honour is a distant memory. That’s correct, Batman, isn’t it?” The most significant new footage shot for the 2021 movie is from the sequence that the clip is taken from.
Snyder wrote that specific scene while in isolation, and he successfully persuaded Leto to take on the role once more for the project. Due to scheduling issues, the scene was filmed on three days with Affleck and Leto shooting in separate locations. We went back and forth a bit, and I’ll give Jared credit for that little ad-lib there because it was really, really wonderful, says Snyder. Leto actually improvised the line “We live in a civilization.” The statement definitely had an impact on the audience and neatly demonstrates Leto’s development as the character.
Leto was reportedly upset with Phillips’ Joker
Reports suggest that Leto was dissatisfied to discover of the rival picture, despite previous assurances that Phoenix’s role as the Joker would not interfere with Leto’s own standalone feature. Leto allegedly vented his frustrations to his CAA representatives and urged his music manager, Irving Azoff, to make a phone call to the chairman of Warners’ parent company in an effort to cancel Phillips’ movie. The Leto camp disputes these assertions, and Azoff, who has since broken off his relationship with Leto, made no comments.
According to sources, Leto believed his representatives could have done more to defend his interpretation of the Joker, fight Phillips’ film more vehemently, and alert him to the rival project sooner. Leto has subsequently switched from CAA to WME, but according to his representatives, the other Joker adaption played no part in the choice. According to an anonymous person familiar with the issue, Leto’s Joker is essentially dead “How can you portray the Joker that you created after [Phoenix]? It essentially puts an end to his time as the Joker.”
Leto’s Joker took a critical beating
Upon Suicide Squad’s debut, the reviews were mostly negative, with Leto’s portrayal of the Joker serving as a focal point for the general contempt. According to Insider writer Jacob Shamsian, “Leto’s portrayal is that of a thug with a penchant for clown makeup. He neither prepares anything evil nor does anything especially cunning. He’s basically a really irate guy who doubtless regrets getting inked.” Some reviewers slammed the movie’s depiction of the Joker and Quinn relationship as a clumsy romanticization of abuse.
Overall, Leto’s portrayal of the Joker was panned by reviewers and viewers. As the DCEU struggled to establish a solid presence in the film industry, Leto’s Joker flailed his way into notoriety, serving as something of a parable for the DCEU’s shortcomings. Leto, Ayer, and everyone else who worked on this Joker failed miserably in their attempt to make something distinctive, instead managing to make something incredibly embarrassing. Clearly, this is not the response that Leto or Ayer were hoping for.
Leto’s Joker was supposed to star in a Harley-Joker romance
A Joker and Harley Quinn movie was confirmed to be coming to theatres in August 2017. One source famously compared the rumoured DC romance to “When Harry Met Sally on Benzedrine,” calling it a “criminal love story.” It was scheduled to start filming when the originally anticipated Suicide Squad sequel was finished, but naturally, things did not turn out that way.
Although the movie is still listed on Leto’s IMDb page, it is widely believed to have been scrapped. This rumour, together with Margot Robbie‘s denial of the Harley-Joker romance and Birds of Prey’s conclusive resolution of it, all indicate how unlikely it is that this movie will be made. “When Harry Met Sally on Benzedrine” is now interred in the cemetery of dashed DCEU dreams. There is always fanfiction, so it’s not all horrible, right?
Leto’s Joker was written out of subsequent projects
Leto’s portrayal of the Joker was sent to the trash heap of cinematic history, just as initial ideas for the DCEU were shelved in light of the popularity of stand-alone films like Joker. The Justice League from 2017 does not at all feature his rendition of the character. Without even having Jared Leto make a cameo, Birds of Prey destroys the Harley-Joker romance: The movie’s opening scene, which shows the growth and collapse of Harley and the Joker’s romance, is entirely animated, and the Joker chosen for the character is more akin to the Clown Prince of Crime from Batman: The Animated Series than Leto’s interpretation. The Batman movies by Matt Reeves take place outside of the official DC continuity. The Suicide Squad, a James Gunn reboot, delivers a brand-new tale that is entirely distinct from the first Suicide Squad movie. Several other DCEU characters make appearances, including Harley Quinn, who is present and accounted for. A tonne of new characters also appear, but Leto’s Joker isn’t one of them.
Leto’s on-set antics caused rumors
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 02: Jared Leto, wearing Gucci, attends the 2019 LACMA Art + Film Gala Presented By Gucci at LACMA on November 02, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for LACMA)
Leto’s actions on the Suicide Squad set sparked a lot of discussion and rumours. There were rumours concerning the “gifts” he supposedly sent to the cast members, including: The actor who played Slipknot, Adam Beach, revealed to E! that he delivered the entire cast a dead hog along with other peculiar gifts. According to Beach, “He sent [Margot Robbie] a charming love note with a black package containing a rat in it – a live rat.” “It was lovely.” Robbie was originally terrified of the rat, but she ultimately warmed up to it and gave it the name Rat Rat. Sadly, her landlord gave her a deadline about the animal. The rat reportedly wound up with Academy Award–winning director Guillermo del Toro, so everything turned out okay.
Leto developed a strange reputation as a result of his misdeeds. The (false) notion that Leto delivered his co-stars a dead rat was perhaps the product of a hazy public recall of the gift of the very much alive rat. Additionally, the vegan cinnamon buns he sent Robbie were completely ignored by rumours.
Leto’s Suicide Squad role was heavily reduced
Despite all the controversy surrounding the Joker’s appearance in Suicide Squad, he has very little screen time in the finished product.
Throughout actuality, The Joker hardly appears at all in the film.
Leto voiced her profound surprise and anger at being left out. When questioned by IGN about if he was angry about the sequences that were removed, he said, “Did any [scenes] make the final cut? Are there any that weren’t cut, I ask you? I didn’t know where to begin because the movie was trimmed from so many scenes. I believe that the Joker was the result of extensive research and exploration on the set. We shot a tonne of material that isn’t included in the movie.”
Ayer expressed misgivings about the Joker’s incidental role in the narrative as well. He pointed out “I really want a time machine. I’d make the Joker the main antagonist and construct a more realistic narrative. (And no, there isn’t a hidden cut of the movie with a lot of Joker moments in it that is stashed away in a salt mine.)”
The Joker’s inclusion in Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Justice League from 2017 caused a fan uproar. They contended that the picture should be given the opportunity to be recut and released with the director’s original directorial vision, Zack Snyder, who quit the production after experiencing a family tragedy. Online fan movements urging Warner executives to “#ReleaseTheSnyderCut” eventually received support from the movie’s own stars. When it appeared like Leto’s involvement in the DC movies was about over, an unexpected event occurred: In May 2020, Warner Bros. confirmed that the Snyder edit was the real deal and that it will be made available on the HBO Max streaming service in 2021.
One of the many modifications and additions the Snyder edit adds to Justice League is a scene set in a post-apocalyptic future that features a new iteration of Leto’s Joker. The scene imagines a dystopian DC reality where cherished characters have perished, the world is made of ash, and a dictator rules. Our heroes must team up with classic villains like Leto’s Joker, who is finally back in the DC universe because they are in such a state of disarray.
The many meanings of Joker’s tattoos
The “HA HA HA” tattoos on the Joker are a tribute to some subtly hinted background from the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in which a Robin costume with yellow letters spelling out “HA HA HA” is shown among Batman’s possessions in the Batcave. Knowing Batman, it’s probably there as a sombre reminder of his inability to defend Robin, who was intended to die at the hands of the Joker in Snyder’s interpretation of the DCEU. According to Snyder, rather than Jason Todd, who is famed for dying in the comics, Robin would have perished in his Dick Grayson persona.
Ayer elaborated on the Joker’s appearance and relationship to Batman in an interview with Entertainment Weekly: “Batman essentially knocks Joker’s teeth out and imprisons him in Arkham Asylum after he kills Robin. Joker would have inked the word “damaged” in the facility as a way to tell Batman, “You’ve damaged me.” You’ve ruined my face, and I was so lovely before. The grill originates from there.”
This theory offers a plausible explanation for the character’s infamous tattoos, but Ayer has grown to question the creative decision. In response to a question regarding the choice in 2018, he said, “I must fall on that sword, yes. It went a little too far.”
The path to Leto’s Joker design
Suicide Squad director David Ayer began sharing pictures and information from the early days of production in March 2015. He specifically showed a picture of a pair of scissors ready to trim Leto’s lengthy hair. Leto’s Joker’s official set images were revealed in April 2015 to mixed reviews. The actor may be seen in the photographs donning the Joker’s short green hair, fair skin, and evil grin. Since they are essential components of the character’s recognisable appearance, these nuances were warmly welcomed. But there is another noteworthy combination of elements in Leto’s Harlequin of Hate that were not as well received: The top and bottom rows of teeth on this Joker are covered by metal grills, and he has numerous tattoos.
Massive smiles covered his forearm and hand, a skull in a jester hat on his chest, dozens of repetitions of “HA HA HA” down his arm, and the term “Damaged” scrawled in cursive across his forehead, just below his hairline, are just a few of the numerous tattoos he has.
The solo Joker project now adrift in limbo
It was revealed in June 2018 that Leto would play the Joker by himself. There were also reports at the time about two different strategies for the DC Extended Universe that might conceivably coexist. One slate of films would uphold established continuity, while the other would follow its own course, allowing directors to give these well-known characters their own distinctive spin.
Both Leto’s Joker movie and the 2019 Joker movie, directed by Todd Phillips, were apparently in development at this time.
According to rumours, Phillips’ movie would belong to the subgenre of DC films that would be separate from the continuity of the DCEU. Fans now know that actually happened after watching (and adoring) Phillips’ movie. But contrary to initial expectations, Leto’s Joker never materialised.
Instead, DC completely abandoned the DCEU continuity in a soft reboot. Despite not having her puddin’, Harley Quinn has continued on through James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey. Leto apparently feels pressured by empty promises, leaving his solo Joker excursion in a state of perpetual limbo.
