The DC Extended Universe has had a wild life in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. One of said valleys happened when Suicide Squad was released in 2017, and failed to resonate with audiences. Director David Ayer cited how studio interference resulted in a ton of cut material, including plenty of scenes from Jared Leto’s Joker. And after filming reshoots for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, would Leto return as his villain in the DCEU?
Prior to the release of Suicide Squad, there was a ton of conversation about Jared Leto’s performance as Joker, and his wild behavior on set of the DC movie. That’s part of why the theatrical cut seemed so strange, as he didn’t get a ton of screen time or relevance to the plot. Fans were delighted to see him briefly back in the role for the Snyder Cut, with that Knightmare sequence only increasing calls for his return to the DCEU. When recently asked about this possibility, the Oscar-winning actor responded:
Never say never. For me, they're like living, breathing people. I know they're not, of course, but I get attached. It's a shame to never do it again.
Well, there you have it. It looks like Jared Leto might be down to clown (literally) in the DC Extended Universe. It certainly seemed like he was just getting started as Mr. J. in Suicide Squad, and he was noticeably missing from James Gunn’s follow-up as well as Birds of Prey. We’ll have to see if Warner Bros. changes its tune in regards to teh shared universe.
Jared Leto spoke to the possibility of a Joker return during a conversation with Variety about his career and new superhero flick Morbius. Obviously his other notable role in the genre was brought up, which is probably something that Leto is used to at this point. He took the question in stride, and hinted that he might be open to playing the Clown Prince of Crime again on the big screen.
As previously mentioned, Jared Leto got back in Joker’s green hair and tattoos for an additional scene that was added for Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Knightmare 2.0 offered another look at the apocalyptic future of Earth, where Batman and a few allies were attempting to avoid a villainous Superman. That includes Joker, who has a few choice words with the Dark Knight, including a reference to Harley.
Fans really responded to this new scene from the Snyder Cut, even if it came after a whopping four-hour movie presentation. Since its release, there’s been calls to #RestoreTheSnyderVerse, and the two Justice League sequels that the titular filmmaker had in mind. Jared Leto’s surprise appearance was definitely part of what made that hype so real, as fans finally got to see him share a scene with Ben Affleck’s Batman for the first time. But the studio doesn’t seem too interested at this point.
Morbius is out in theaters on April 1st, and the next installment in the DCEU is Black Adam on October 21st. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
