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The DC Extended Universe has had a fascinating life in theaters, with plenty of peaks and valleys. Warner Bros. seemed to struggle with the earliest entries into the franchise, including David Ayer's Suicide Squad and the theatrical cut of Justice League. Filmmaker Zack Snyder helmed the first few installments in the DCEU, and recently opened up about one Suicide Squad character that he particularly liked: Jared Leto's Joker.
There was a ton of anticipation behind Suicide Squad ahead of its 2016 release, thanks to some killer trailers and the movie's all-star cast. There was particular hype build up around Jared Leto's performance, and the actor's wild on set antics while staying in character during filming. Unfortunately, Leto's role was largely cut from the theatrical cut, with David Ayer citing studio interference. But Zack Snyder recently praised that version of the Joker, to the delight of Ayer. Check it out below.
Jared Leto's future as Joker is currently unclear, but it looks like he's got some fans in high places. While Zack Snyder didn't include the character or Leto in his trio of DC blockbuster, it looks like the filmmaker was a fan of what the Dallas Buyer's Club actor brought to the table as the Clown Prince of Crime. But will we ever see this version of Joker again?
David Ayer posted Zack Snyder's praise for Jared Leto as The Joker over on his personal Twitter page. The emojis used seem to show an appreciation for Snyder's words, especially considering how poorly the character was received by critics and audiences alike. This disconnect is likely since so much of his material was cut out of Suicide Squad, with Leto's tenure as Mr. J coming to a close before it ever truly began.
When it arrived in theaters, Suicide Squad barely featured The Joker, who was a strange tertiary presence in the movie that failed to truly impact the movie's main story. Joker simply tried to rescue Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn a handful of times, getting very little screen time in the process. David Ayer has blamed the studio for this, as Harley's story was "eviscerated" from his original vision.
Suicide Squad is currently available on HBO Max, which will be the eventual home of the Snyder Cut. You can use this link to sign up for the new streaming service.
James Gunn's The Suicide Squad will served as a soft reboot for the property, and will feature a handful of returning faces like Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney, Viola Davis, and Joel Kinnaman. Unfortunately Jared Leto's Joker isn't expected to appear, just as he was absent in Birds of Prey. And considering how his version of the villain was received, it's unclear if we'll ever see Leto reprise that role.
The situation with Jared Leto's DC future got all the more complicated thanks to Todd Phillips' Joker. The dark psychological drama was set outside of the DCEU, with Joaquin Phoenix sweeping last year's Awards Season in the Best Actor category. Leto was understandably upset about another actor playing the character, and it was likely doubly frustrating after Phoenix took home the Oscar.
The next installment in the DCEU is Wonder Woman 1984, which is currently set to arrive in theaters on October 2nd. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
