Jared Leto debuted as the Joker in 2016's Suicide Squad, and Something curious happened with his portrayal. Prior to the film's release, there was a lot of excitement around his casting. Then, a first look at the character was released and... well, the reaction was not kind, to say the least. But worse things were yet to come. Suicide Squad became universally disliked upon its release, with one of the biggest complaints about it being Leto's Joker. The film remained Leto's only foray into the DC Universe for a few years, to the point where it seemed destined to be the last.
However, things changed when Zack Snyder was brough back onboard by Warner Bros. to complete his version of Justice League. In a surprising move, Leto returned as the Clown Prince of Crime for a post-apocalyptic sequence.
Ultimately, Zack Snyder's Justice League would become the last we saw of the character. However, thanks to Snyder, we now have a brand-new look at him. Continuing his trend of sharing pictures from past DC projects, the director posted an unnerving photo of Leto's Joker:
The post was captioned, "50mm Dream lens Leica monochrome." While brief, his return as the Joker in the reworked Justice League allowed Leto's villain to interact with Ben Affleck's Batman on screen for the first time in the DCEU (though the actors filmed their scenes separately).
Appearing on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in 2021, Leto talked about returning as the Clown Prince of Crime, and his thoughts on the Snyder Cut: "I always loved Zack Snyder and I think that the story behind this Snyder Cut is really, kind of one for the ages—what happened around him not finishing the first film. [...] But I was just happy to be part of his dream, and to get asked to play the Joker for a second time was just a treat. It's one of those roles that is just incredible."
The actor also revealed his now infamous line, "We live in a society," was improvised by him, and ultimately put in the film's trailer. Colbert then asked whether there was anything different between Suicide Squad's Joker and Zack Snyder's Justice League's Joker, or if they were part of the same continuity, to which Leto replied:
"Well, I think it's an evolution. You know, they're some years apart, and certainly different directors. When you collaborate with somebody [...] it brings out a different side, or a different Joker, a different energy. And when you work with a different director, you bring out different things, or they bring out different things in you. So, I loved working with him. I loved his passion. He knows more about this world than almost anybody."
Getting Leto back for the film was not easy, though. Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Zack Snyder's Justice League producer Deborah Snyder detailed the process to bring the actor onboard: "Zack [Snyder] and Jared [Leto] talked for a while. Before we approached the studio, he wanted to make sure that they would be interested. At first, it was like 'No,' and then it was like, 'Well, maybe,' and then Zack was like, 'Do you want to see the scene that I worked on?'"
Deborah Snyder also explained how Snyder intended to pay tribute to David Ayer's work with Joker for 2016's Suicide Squad, while still making the character fit into his style: "Zack wanted to homage what David [Ayer] had done, but also make it his own. And it was post-apocalyptic, so we tried lots of different looks and everything. It was a couple of day process after doing drawings [of Joker]."
What did you think of this new look at Jared Leto's Joker in Zack Snyder's Justice League? Share your thoughts in the comments!