Jared Leto returns as Joker in Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Zack Snyder’s Justice League has been in the news since its release was confirmed on HBO Max. It was initially stated to be a four-hour episodic movie that included footage that Snyder had already shot but was omitted from the theatrical cut which was directed by Joss Whedon after Snyder had to leave the film midway owing to a family tragedy. Later on, it was confirmed that Ben Affleck (Batman) and Ray Fisher (Cyborg) among others would be coming back on set for reshoots. Now, it has been established that Jared Leto will be reprising his role as Joker in the Snyder Cut, which is a bit bizarre since Joker wasn’t part of Zack Snyder’s original vision for Justice League.
Jared Leto’s Joker was last seen in Suicide Squad (2016) and his portrayal of the iconic villain was met with strong opposition from fans. The David Ayer’s directed Suicide Squad represented a mafia crime boss Joker that depended more on atheistic and tattoos to convey his madness. This was in stark contrast to the Joker portrayed by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight and Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, who presented a more psychotic/chaotic Joker.
Taking into consideration the reshoots and actors reprising their roles, it feels that Zack Snyder’s Justice League is not a conclusion to the story, rather it could be the stepping stone to more films. It will be quite interesting to see if Jared Leto makes a glorified cameo in Snyder’s Justice League or will they answer some pertaining questions about the storyline between Batman and Joker. Perhaps, we will get a concluding answer to what happened to Robin, since in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, we see the words “HA HA HA Joke’s On You, Batman” painted across Robin’s costume. Only time will tell us if Jared Leto’s Joker will have the last laugh.