Justice League: Zack Snyder Reveals Deleted Take From Joker & Batman Scene

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Updated:
Joker and Batman Justice League

After years of waiting and a grassroots campaign, Zack Snyder's Justice League finally arrived last month on HBO Max. Many would agree that the four-hour version of the superhero team-up was much improved compared to its theatrical predecessor , as evidenced by compelling character arcs combined with thrilling action sequences.

Ever since it was announced that the Snyder Cut would be debuting on the streaming service, the visionary director didn't waste time to reveal more information about his original version. From teasing surprise character appearances all the way to unveiling promotional materials like posters and trailers, Snyder served as a one-man marketing team for the film, and so far, the approach was worth it.

Even though Zack Snyder's Justice League already premiered, the barrage of information from Snyder didn't stop, with the director openly sharing secrets about the film on social media. Now, another interesting tidbit has emerged, courtesy of the DCEU filmmaker.

BATMAN AND JOKER FROM THE SNYDER CUT

Zack Snyder released the first deleted scene from his Justice League to social media. The new footage shows Joker uttering the famous “we live in a society” line from the trailer.

Here's the full deleted exchange:

Batman: "Maybe this will come in handy."

The Joker: "Honor, really, Bruce? Honor? We live in a society where honor is a distant memory, by the way, who do you think screamed the loudest? The girl or the boy?"

The director also shared a link for those interested to purchase a “We Live In A Society” T-shirt. It was confirmed that 50% of the profits will go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Fans can access the store here .

In a separate thread from Vero, as posted by Reddit user vividinferno , Snyder confirmed that the "girl" and the "boy" that Joker is referring to in the scene was indeed Harley Quinn and Robin.

WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY...

During the debut of Zack Snyder's Justice League , fans easily noticed that Joker's “society” line was missing , thus leading to numerous questions on why the scene was cut from the final version. Previously, it was believed that the line was likely deemed as something solely intended for the trailer, but this latest reveal from Snyder confirmed that it was part of the film at some point.

Interestingly, Snyder previously revealed in an interview that the scene where Joker utters the famous line was intended “for the charity version of the movie,” but the director openly admitted that “it's an either or moment.” Given that the sequence wasn't featured in both the original and the black-and-white versions, a fitting consolation from Snyder is unveiling the clip as the film's first deleted scene.

Aside from the “society” line, a key difference in this exchange in comparison to the final cut is Joker's mockery of the deaths of Harley Quinn and Robin.

The villain has been confirmed to be the one responsible for Dick Grayson's death and poking fun at it in front of Batman's face serves as a fitting way to cap off his arc, especially considering the fact that this is potentially the final standoff between the two foes. As for Harley Quinn, it's clear that Joker has no love lost for her ex-partner, and this goes to show the ruthless mentality of the villain.

All in all, this deleted scene should add another layer of intrigue for Zack Snyder's Justice League , and it will be interesting to find out if there are more alternate takes that will be released down the line.

- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.