Jared Leto will finally reprise the Joker role in the Snyder Cut of Justice League that's on its way to HBO Max, and here's what we know so far. Ever since the rise of social media happened, fan campaigns to try and push studios to make or save certain projects have been a regular occurrence. In the vast majority of cases though, the demands fall on deaf ears. Most cancelled cult shows don't get new seasons, and most shelved movies don't get released properly. However, the saga of the Snyder Cut proves why fan campaigns are still worth doing.
After literally years of anguished cries from the Zack Snyder and DCEU faithful, the Snyder Cut is being completed, and will stream on HBO Max in 2021. "Release the Snyder Cut!" became a rallying cry for millions, including multiple members of the Justice League cast, and overall DC Films family. Dubbed simply Zack Snyder's Justice League, the new version of the DC team-up extravaganza hopes to correct all the issues fans had with the slapdash Joss Whedon-directed theatrical cut, and present Snyder's original vision to the masses.
One character it's safe to say most didn't expect to be part of the Snyder Cut was The Joker, who hadn't appeared in the theatrical version, and hadn't participated in Snyder's previous filming. Yet, Snyder decided to add him into the mix, despite him not being part of the director's original plan.
The Joker's New Appearance
While Zack Snyder has unsurprisingly yet to reveal exactly how Jared Leto's Joker return will differ from his portrayal in Suicide Squad, Snyder has at least confirmed that the Clown Prince of Crime will be getting a new look. This should please the many who hated Leto's look in David Ayer's film, arguing that Joker looked more like a Hot Topic customer than a brutal crime boss. Snyder says Joker's new look comes along with the character being "road-weary," and with some water having gone under the bridge since his last outing. Other unconfirmed reports suggest that Joker's new look will see him sport long hair, no longer have the divisive tattoos and capped teeth, and also a beaten up jacket covered with guns and badges claimed from cop victims.
How Long The Joker Will Be In Justice League
While we of course don't yet know exactly how much screen time Jared Leto's Joker will receive in Zack Snyder's Justice League, it's actually not too difficult to come up with a ballpark estimate as to how long he'll actually appear in the new cut. Joker wasn't present for or intended to be in the filming Snyder was originally doing for Justice League, and Snyder has stated that he only shot about five minutes of completely new material. That means that even if Joker is present for all five minutes, which he probably won't be, he could only possibly appear in that small chunk of the Snyder Cut. So anyone watching Zack Snyder's Justice League solely for more Joker scenes will probably be left disappointed, but anyone already excited to watch the new cut that sees added Joker as the bonus that it is will quite likely be left with a smile on their face.
Where Joker Appears In Justice League
Based on things Snyder has said during various interviews about the film, it would seem that Joker's involvement will either be limited to or mostly part of the expanded Knightmare sequence. As shown in the Whedon cut of Justice League, the Knightmare scene makes little sense, and since Justice League 2 never materialized, has been left as an odd diversion. It's easily the most famous/infamous part of Justice League's theatrical version, outside of the horrible CGI erasure of Henry Cavill's mustache.
Snyder will now finally get to realize his true vision for the Knightmare, which features Batman getting a glimpse of a possible dystopian future in which Darkseid has taken over Earth and Superman has turned evil following Lois Lane's death. It's unclear how much of this will actually be shown in the Snyder Cut proper, as a tie-in comic book has also been teased, but the director says the backstory for Joker's inclusion is the arch villain forming an unlikely alliance with Batman's side in the future, leading to his stealing a Mother Box to help Flash build the Cosmic Treadmill he needs to travel back and warn Bruce of the coming apocalypse. Naturally, no matter the circumstances or time period, Batman isn't exactly a fan of working together with the monster who killed Robin, but desperation makes for strange allies. Snyder has also teased possibly showing Robin's death at Joker's hands.
What Zack Snyder Thinks About Leto's Joker
As divisive and controversial as Jared Leto's Joker has always been among fans - although oddly, absence appears to have made the heart grow fonder for some - since Suicide Squad's release, Zack Snyder has been a vocal proponent of the character in the past year. When asked what he thought of Leto's Joker on social media back in July 2020, way before Leto's return for the Snyder Cut was announced, Snyder said "I always loved him in the part." When speaking about his changes to Leto's Joker in Justice League later, Snyder made it clear that they weren't due to wanting to pull away from how Joker was portrayed in David Ayer's film.
"I wanted to, of course, honor what had been created with him because I thought it was really cool," said Snyder on the Beyond the Trailer YouTube show in November 2020, showing pretty conclusively that Snyder is a fan of Leto's Joker presentation in Suicide Squad. One wonders if Snyder has seen the deleted footage of Joker from Suicide Squad that Ayer has talked about on many occasions too, giving Snyder an added appreciation for Leto's work in the role that normal fans wouldn't be privy too. Either way, Snyder's love for Leto's Joker variation likely means he'll show the character the proper respect and craftsmanship he deserves in Justice League, and if Leto's Joker wows, that may well increase support for an Ayer cut of Suicide Squad.