Few characters have enjoyed as many portrayals or voices as DC’s very own Clown Prince of Crime. The list includes some pretty prominent talents at that, the most iconic being Mark Hamill’s sinister voice from Batman: The Animated Series and the Arkham video games, and then there was the supremely lauded performance by Heath Ledger in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, but these are just the tip of the iceberg. There’s also been Joaquin Phoenix from 2019’s Oscar-nominated Joker, Jack Nicholson, Cameron Monaghan, Troy Baker and, believe it or not, even Zach Galifianakis in the The LEGO Batman Movie.
Of course, there was also the Clown Prince played by Jared Leto in the much-maligned Suicide Squad, but it didn’t seem like we’d be seeing more of his take on the villain after his portrayal was slammed by fans and critics alike. However, the planned release of the Snyder Cut of Justice League for HBO Max may have just shifted the equation significantly, and here’s how.
You see, with the Snyder Cut now confirmed, there’ve been numerous reports pointing to the possibility of the release of the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad also coming to HBO Max. David Ayer has even taken to Twitter to express his interest in getting it done. And while Warner Bros. has yet to make it official, sources close to WGTC – the same ones who said Justice League Dark and Green Lantern shows are coming to HBO Max, which we now know to be true – say that the Ayer Cut is indeed on the way (thanks to the Snyder Cut happening) and will reportedly feature a lot more Joker. Not only that, but if it’s met with positive reception, Warner Bros. will consider bringing back Leto for future projects.
How all this will coincide with James Gunn’s Suicide Squad movie, confusingly called The Suicide Squad, is currently unknown, while it’s also unclear if the Morbius star would even want to come back. Still, with Joaquin Phoenix’s take on the villain not part of the DCEU continuity, there’s certainly room for Jared Leto’s Joker to return. But first, we need to wait and see how his extended role in the Ayer Cut goes over with fans.