Zack Snyder's Justice League: Jared Leto Reportedly Returning as Joker

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Updated:
Jared Leto as Joker, Justice League

Zack Snyder's Justice League will look to reinvent the superhero team-up in exciting ways when it finally premieres next year. The first full trailer already provided glimpses of how Snyder's version will turn out, but it is expected that more surprises will soon surface.

The visionary director has been vocal about his cut for quite some time now, teasing fans of what to expect about his version of the film. Snyder previously hinted that fans have yet to see the "tip of the iceberg" of his cut while also providing fans with interesting tidbits such as a Superman-centric opening scene as well as giving Ray Fisher's Cyborg a more prominent role this time around. 

From the initial announcement of the Snyder Cut, a lingering question among fans has been whether or not the film will move forward with reshoots since the director shared that the cut will be an "entirely new thing." However, the confusion was apparently addressed by a recent tease from the cinematographer of the cut, hinting that more filming will indeed happen. 

And now, a notable (and surprising) addition has joined the Snyder Cut while also confirming the film's production plans.

REPORT

The Hollywood Reporter shared in a report that Jared Leto will return to reprise the role of Joker in Zack Snyder's Justice League.

THR also revealed that "shooting is currently underway" for the Snyder Cut with Ben Affleck, Ray Fisher, and Amber Heard joining Leto on the set, but the outlet pointed out that it is currently unclear which other actors will be involved.

WHAT THIS MEANS

The inclusion of Jared Leto's Joker in Zack Snyder's Justice League presents a vast amount of possibilities for both the character and the film's narrative. Leto debuted as the Clown Prince of Crime during 2016's Suicide Squad, but previous reports suggested that his role in that film was heavily-altered, with David Ayer even mentioning that Joker was "ripped out" from the movie. 

Now that Leto will return as Joker for the second time, it will be interesting to witness how the actor's portrayal of the villain will be different this time around. Not much is known about the role of Joker in Zack Snyder's Justice League, but there's a good chance that the villain's scenes will be closely tied to Ben Affleck's Batman. 

In canon, Justice League is set after the events of Suicide Squad, and the latter revealed that Joker escaped with Harley Quinn at the end of its story. That being said, it would make narrative sense for Batman to pursue Joker at the beginning of the events of the Snyder Cut, before eventually teaming up with the rest of the heroes. Not only that, but this also presents an exciting possibility for Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn to also appear. 

Snyder previously described his Justice League as an "Elseworld" type of story, meaning that the director has the freedom to use any characters within the DCEU without worrying about continuity. The confirmed involvement of Leto's Joker is a prime example of how vastly different Zack Snyder's Justice League will be from its theatrical predecessor from 2017.  

No doubt, the possibilities are endless for the Snyder Cut, and it will be exciting to witness how it unfolds when it premieres on HBO Max next year. 

- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal

MCU and STAR WARS Writer