The DC Extended Universe is a tricky place. While Marvel methodically introduced characters in solo movies before eventually uniting them in The Avengers, the DCEU went a different route. Large ensemble casts were assembled, including the motley crew of David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Anticipation for the villain-centric blockbuster was at a fever pitch when the first trailers were released, although the final product left much to be desired. Extensive reshoots were done and plenty of scenes ended up on the cutting room floor, and now we know a bit more about one particular Joker scene thanks to the director himself.
A fan on Twitter recently asked David Ayer about Suicide Squad's deleted scenes-- one that featured a slightly charred Joker. The Bright director was surprisingly chatty, and revealed exactly what that scene would have entailed, saying:
After Joker dropped Harley Quinn from the help and crashed, Enchantress made a deal with him. He was going to take Harley home and be "King of Gotham" Harley stood up to him and refused to betray her new friends. The Squad turned on him and he escaped.
Does anybody else have FOMO right about now? This deleted Suicide Squad scene seems like an excellent way to wrap up Harley's story in the movie, and the internal conflict she's feeling between the Squad and her puddin'. It's actually quite surprising this ended up being cut, as Margot Robbie's character was by far the star of the movie.
The handling of The Joker was one of the biggest points of contention in Suicide Squad, especially for hardcore comic book fans. Fans were eager to see what Jared Leto would do with the iconic villain, especially as tales of his crazy onset antics and method acting began swirling around the internet. But the film's cuts and reshoots resulted in far less screen time for the Clown Prince of Crime, something which Leto himself seems to take umbrage with.
Regardless of whether or not fans liked Jared Leto's characterization for Joker, Suicide Squad's theatrical cut definitely shoved the iconic villain into the background. While it was important for moviegoers to watch Harley Quinn's origin story and why she was eventually arrested by Batman, Joker's involvement in the main conflict felt more like an after thought. He popped in to rescue Harley... and then comes back in the end to once again attempt to break her out of prison. But the deleted scene would have changed that, and made Joker a more integral part of the narrative.
It should be interesting to see where Joker goes in the DCEU from here. There are quite a few projects in development including a Joker origin movie, a Joker/Harley movie, as well as Suicide Squad 2. So hopefully Jared Leto will have the chance to properly shine in a future installment.
The next installment in the DCEU will be James Wan's Aquaman on December 21, 2018. You can also watch David Ayer's Bright available now on Netflix. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
