In DC Comics, Joker’s girlfriend, Punchline, is a deranged Batman villain that has become a surprise hit with fans, and now in a new cosplay of the character, she has finally entered the Snyderverse! Zack Snyder may be a controversial filmmaker when it comes to putting DC properties up on the big screen, but it can’t be denied that he has a uniquely mature look for the various heroes and villains that populate his world.
Brought to life by cosplayer Lis Wonder (@lis.wonder), a quick scroll through her Instagram account shows that it's chock-full of wildly inventive and spot-on recreations of some of comics’ best and most memorable characters. Having already brought to life Queen Mera of Aquaman fame, the upcoming DCEU version of Supergirl, The Batman’s Catwoman, a comic accurate Nightwing, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, and many more, Punchline is the next addition in Lis Wonder’s ever-growing repertoire of cosplay accomplishments.
Created by writer James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez in 2020 in the lead-up to the epic event dubbed The Joker War, Punchline aka Alexis Kaye was a smash hit with fans right off the bat. Replacing Harley Quinn as Joker’s main squeeze after Harley took it upon herself to get out of their toxic relationship after years of abuse, Punchline was painted almost as an equal to Joker in a sense that her sadistic and manipulative nature was always front and center for all to see. And now, with Lis Wonder bringing her to life with a Snyderverse twist, it’s clear that Punchline would work well within the confines of Snyder's live-action film universe.
Photographed in all of her fiendish and mischievous glory, this cosplay sees Lis made up to look near-identical to the way the Punchline character is depicted in the comics. Inspired by Jorge Jimenez’s design, Lis perfectly replicates Punchline's clown make-up, color-streaked hair, and general murderous feel of a character that can give the Joker a run for his money any day. Decked out in an orange jumpsuit complete with a white shirt that reads “Burn after use,” Lis Wonder’s photo caption tells fans that she, “Had to wear the Ayer outfit,” referencing the prison getup director David Ayer used for the first live-action appearance of Harley Quinn in the Snyderverse film titled Suicide Squad.
Officially bringing Punchline into the Snyderverse with this call out to Ayer, Lis even gets the lighting and color palette of Snyder’s dark and drab look just right as she sets herself against the backdrop of a prison cell. Couple this look with the handful of other Punchline posts Lis has uploaded before and after this particular one, and it’s clear that she has a handle on the character in a way that would behoove any filmmaker to reference when looking to bring the Punchline character into the DCEU.
So although Zack Snyder and his film universe seem to be getting sidelined even further (if the rumors of what will happen in the upcoming The Flash movie are true, that is), Lis Wonder giving fans a Punchline cosplay based on Snyder’s aesthetic is a treat no matter how you cut it. Punchline may never get her chance to truly become part of the Snyderverse, but it’s good to know that she’d fit right in if that day should ever come.