The Joker is Batman's greatest villain, but also a complex, fascinating character who has been depicted in countless ways over the years. We saw director David Ayer and actor Jared Leto's interpretation of the Clown Prince of Crime in 2016's Suicide Squad, but the latter is now set to take another shot at the iconic character in Zack Snyder's Justice League.
We know that Joker will cross paths with the Dark Knight in that "Knightmare" timeline, and this newly revealed image (via Vanity Fair) is bound to get fans talking.
As you can see, the villain is decked out in what appears to be a hospital gown, gloves, and a crown of thorns not all that different to what Jesus Christ is thought to have worn on the cross. Could it be that the Harlequin of Hate views himself as a Christ-like figure in this desolate future ruled by Darkseid?
The site has also shared a number of behind-the-scenes photos from Snyder's Justice League reshoots, including Ben Affleck's Batman, Amber Heard's Mera, and Ray Fisher's Cyborg.
Check out the photo below, and keep checking back here today for much more on the "Snyder Cut."
Click on the "Next" button below for a breakdown of
last week's trailer for Zack Snyder's Justice League!
10. The Scream Heard Throughout The Universe
At the end of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the Man of Steel died at the hands of Doomsday. Zack Snyder has confirmed that Lex Luthor's communion with Steppenwolf will be featured in Justice League's opening, and it feels like Superman's cry of anguish could play into that.
It would certainly go some way towards explaining Luthor's taunts about the bell having been rung, and the trailer even indicates that the hero's scream could be heard in Themyscira.
However, we're pretty sure that's just misdirection as Hippolyta is, in fact, watching the building that once held the Mother Box crumble into the ocean. It's definitely interesting that Superman's death is such a focal point of this teaser, and a good indication that his demise and resurrection will be key here.
9. Return To Knightmare
Batman v Superman's "Knightmare" sequence baffled fans, but Justice League is clearly going to tackle that head on, and hopefully make sense of it all. This trailer emphasises Darkseid's eventual takeover of Earth, and the role Batman plays in protecting what's left of his planet.
Based on what little Snyder has revealed about his original Justice League sequel plans, this timeline sees Superman fall to the Anti-Life Equation, while Earth is ravaged by Darkseid and his Parademons.
Batman, Cyborg, and the Flash ultimately master time-travel in order to stop this from happening, and...well, we probably won't get to see all of that unfold here. However, Bruce Wayne's voiceover makes it clear that Batman remembers this vision, and it's that which prompts him to assemble the League.
8. Visit To Apokolips
Steppenwolf and the Parademons just started to invade Earth in Joss Whedon's version of Justice League out of nowhere, but this cut of the movie is clearly going to spend some time explaining why.
Darkseid, Desaad, and Granny Goodness are all highlighted at one point, and they can be seen surrounded by an army of Parademons on their knees in subservience. It's a killer visual, and we see that the sky looks exactly like that on Earth when Batman's "Knightmare" future becomes a reality.
What if this isn't Apokolips, though? It would be pretty cool to see that, years from now, Darkseid has made Earth his home, and this is a familiar landmark he's repurposed for his own nefarious means.
7. Steppenwolf's New Look
Steppenwolf has been completely overhauled for the "Snyder Cut," and it's fair to say he looks better for it.
However, in this scene, we see the villain communicating with Darkseid (or possible Desaad) minus some of his armour. It's definitely fun to see what's underneath, and we'd place money on him having some sort of "living" armour which spreads across his body when he heads into battle.
Many fans have pointed out the similarities between Darkseid's helmet and Cyborg's appearance, but it's clear now that the armour which covers his body is also rooted in Apokolips tech.
6. Cyborg Gets An Upgrade
We're not sure if this is taken from the final battle or the Knightmare sequence, but Cyborg has certainly undergone some improvement heading into Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Here, he has a badass cannon on his shoulder, while his hands have been replaced by guns which we're sure will tear through the Parademons with ease. Based on what we see a little later in this sneak peek, something tells us this is Cyborg fighting alongside Batman...and possibly The Joker.
We'll get to that later, but it seems those rumours about Cyborg being torn in half by Steppenwolf prior to the Knightmare timeline were incorrect. Well, that or Batman finds a way to repair him!
5. Superman's Resurrection
Superman's resurrection in 2017's Justice League was...weird. The team dug his body up, and used the energy from a Mother Box to bring him back to life. Of course, he wasn't in his right mind, and ended up attacking his fellow heroes before Lois Lane managed to restore the Man of Steel's senses.
We don't know how much of that will change in the "Snyder Cut," but Supes is clearly still submerged in that same chamber prior to being brought back to life. With any luck, this version of the movie will better explain how all this works, and potentially even tie it into the hero's eventual fall under Darkseid's control.
We'll see, but the fact that Clark Kent was buried alongside a photo of his father hits us right in the feels.
4. Iris West
There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding Kiersey Clemons' role as Irist West in The Flash movie, but the trailer confirms that Snyder will still be able to include the character in his cut.
This was meant to serve as an introduction for the Central City reporter, but for reasons which still aren't entirely clear, Whedon left Iris on the cutting room floor (along with most of Snyder's work). The entire sequence looks like a visual feast, and it will certainly give us an idea of what might have been.
If the response to Clemons' Iris is vocal enough, don't be surprised if Warner Bros. make a greater effort to bring her back for The Flash. However, it's likely this will just be a very minor cameo.
3. The Bat-Tank
This might be a product of reshoots, but yes, Snyder will include the Bat-Tank in his Justice League. As the filmmaker is a huge fan of Frank Miller's work, we probably shouldn't be surprised, as this vehicle was present in The Dark Knight Returns (which inspired much of Batman v Superman).
How it will factor into the story is hard to say, and it's a little odd to think that Whedon may have scrapped it.
It wouldn't be overly surprising for the Knightcrawler to emerge from the vehicle, but knowing Snyder, you have to believe it will have a big part to play in an action sequence of some sort. It's easy to forget that the movie is four hours long, and that's an awful lot of time to fill. While much of what we've seen looks familiar, there's bound to be entire sequences we had no idea existed before now.
2. Cyborg's Vision
Snyder has strongly hinted that something big happens when Cyborg touches the Mother Boxes, and we're guessing it'll be more noteworthy than him rattling off some one-liners with Superman.
That's actually evident from this sneak peek as the hero appears to get a vision of the Flash racing through time. It's widely believed that time-travel will factor into the movie's final battle (which was likely a way of laying the groundwork for Flashpoint when this was originally shot), so perhaps this is Cyborg realising that running that fast is the only way for Barry Allen to save them?
Either way, this could be a great way for Snyder to address some plot holes, and even wrap up a few ideas he may have originally planned to tackle in a Justice League sequel.
1. The Joker Returns
The big surprise in this latest trailer for Zack Snyder's Justice League is, of course, the return of Jared Leto's Joker. We've known for a while that the Oscar-winner would reprise his Suicide Squad role, but this Clown Prince of Crime has clearly changed a lot since we last saw him.
His appearance and voice have vastly improved, and it looks a lot like Batman could be forced to team up with his greatest enemy (the apocalypse understandably makes for strange bedfellows).
As we mentioned earlier, it seems Cyborg is with Batman at this point in the Knightmare timeline, so it could be that the two League members specifically need The Joker's help. One popular theory online is that the villain proves instrumental in securing the tech needed to send the Flash back in time.