JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Reveals Whether Jared Leto's Joker Was Part Of His Theatrical Cut

Oscar-winner Jared Leto was recently added to the cast of Zack Snyder's Justice League, and the filmmaker has now revealed whether he always planned to include the Clown Prince of Crime in his movie...

By JoshWilding - Nov 16, 2020 04:11 AM EST

Filed Under: Justice League

While no one was surprised when it was revealed that Zack Snyder's Justice League reshoots have made use of actors like Ben Affleck, Amber Heard, and Ezra Miller, the addition of Jared Leto's Joker definitely came as a shocker. Many fans have wondered whether it was always the plan for his Clown Prince of Crime to be part of the movie, while others have argued he might be a last-minute addition.

Talking to The Film Junkee (via Screen Rant), Snyder revealed that the idea to include The Joker in Justice League came after principal photography wrapped on the movie prior to its 2017 release.

"No, he wasn’t," the filmmaker said when asked whether The Joker was going to be in his original theatrical cut. "There was a few things that I had thought about doing that I had thought about grabbing in post. There was a number of things I had drawn – a couple of them, I wasn’t able to do, but it’s fine. I’m completely satisfied."

"But this was one of the things that in the years since I’ve kind of boiled on and kind of said, like, this would be a cool thing to do. I’ll be honest, I never thought the opportunity would come, and thanks to the fans, of course, and this whole journey, it’s happened, which is insane."

It's widely believed that the villain will be part of those "Knightmare" flashforwards, with him possibly teaming up with Batman to help him take on Darkseid's Parademons. While most fans would love to see the night The Joker killed Robin, a scene like this (which Snyder has definitely alluded to) has a tonne of potential and could be a blast to see.

Check out a ranking of Batman's movies - according to their
Rotten Tomatoes scores - by clicking the "Next" button below!

10. Batman & Robin

Score: 11%

Rotten or Fresh? Rotten

Critics Consensus: Joel Schumacher's tongue-in-cheek attitude hits an unbearable limit in Batman & Robin resulting in a frantic and mindless movie that's too jokey to care much for.

Widely considered the worst Batman movie of all-time, it's no great surprise that Batman & Robin comes in at last place. There's no denying that it featured an impressive cast (George Clooney, Uma Thurman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger all sharing the screen is pretty incredible when you think about it), but Joel Schumacher's vision for the franchise went completely off the rails here.

9. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Score: 28%

Rotten or Fresh? Rotten

Critics Consensus: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice smothers a potentially powerful story -- and some of America's most iconic superheroes -- in a grim whirlwind of effects-driven action.

Zack Snyder's movie deserves to place higher than this, and while critics didn't respond to what proved to be a vastly different vision for a comic book adaptation, a lot of fans loved what this team-up delivered. There were some mistakes - Doomsday's appearance, Batman killing criminals, and "Martha," for example - but this score isn't representative of what ended up on screen.

8. Batman Forever

Score: 39%

Rotten or Fresh? Rotten

Critics Consensus: Loud, excessively busy, and often boring, Batman Forever nonetheless has the charisma of Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones to offer mild relief.

As memorable and Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones may have been, this complete "disasterpiece" was every bit as bad as Batman and Robin, and a chore to watch. After Batman Returns, it was a baffling and unexpected direction to take the Dark Knight in, and Val Kilmer unfortunately made for an underwhelming version of Bruce Wayne, especially after Michael Keaton's take.

7. Justice League

Score: 40%

Rotten or Fresh? Rotten

Critics Consensus: Justice League leaps over a number of DC movies, but its single bound isn't enough to shed the murky aesthetic, thin characters, and chaotic action that continue to dog the franchise.

Joss Whedon brought a lot of good ideas to the table with his take on Justice League, but trying to combine his vision with Zack Snyder's created a weird, Frankenstein's monster movie (literally in the case of Henry Cavill thanks to his CGI jaw). Ben Affleck's Batman was fine, but not really given anything significant to do beyond being an ass to Diana Prince and being willing to sacrifice himself.

6. Batman (1989)

Score: 71%

Rotten or Fresh? Fresh

Critics Consensus: An eerie, haunting spectacle, Batman succeeds as dark entertainment, even if Jack Nicholson's Joker too often overshadows the title character.

This is a classic, but it's also a little rough around the edges. Zack Snyder's Dark Knight received a lot of flak for killing bad guys, but Michael Keaton's eccentric Bruce Wayne - who sleeps upside down at nighttime - was every bit the murderer. In many ways, this was The Joker's movie, but the Capec Crusader was given the chance to shine, and he did so in a stylistic Gotham created by Tim Burton.

5. Batman: The Movie

Score: 78%

Rotten or Fresh? Fresh

Critics Consensus: Batman: The Movie elevates camp to an art form -- and has a blast doing it, every gloriously tongue-in-cheek inch of the way.

If you loved the TV series, then this movie was everything you could hope for and more. It hasn't aged well (it was released way back in 1966, remember), but in terms of being a campy, silly adventure starring the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder, it works wonderfully. With a star-studded cast of actors and characters, this is perhaps the most "comic book-y" movie of all those listed here.

4. Batman Returns

Score: 80%

Rotten or Fresh? Certified Fresh

Critics Consensus: Director Tim Burton's dark, brooding atmosphere, Michael Keaton's work as the tormented hero, and the flawless casting of Danny DeVito as The Penguin and Christopher Walken as, well, Christopher Walken make the sequel better than the first.

This movie is a masterpiece, but it's no great surprise that a certain trilogy beats it! However, Batman Returns is arguably better than the next two entries in this feature, even if it doesn't quite deserve the #1 spot. Catwoman and The Penguin made for terrific villains (even when Max Shreck did not), and it was impossible not to get invested in Bruce Wayne's relationship with Selina Kyle.

3. Batman Begins

Score: 84%

Rotten or Fresh? Certified Fresh

Critics Consensus: Brooding and dark, but also exciting and smart, Batman Begins is a film that understands the essence of one of the definitive superheroes.

Batman Begins was exactly what this iconic DC Comics character needed after Joel Schumacher's awful movies, and Christopher Nolan's in-depth look at the hero's origin story proved to be immensely satisfying to watch unfold. This story was arguably at its best before Bruce donned the cape and cowl, but it was definitely refreshing to see him battle a baddie like Ra's al Ghul.

2. The Dark Knight Returns

Score: 87%

Rotten or Fresh? Certified Fresh

Critics Consensus: The Dark Knight Rises is an ambitious, thoughtful, and potent action film that concludes Christopher Nolan's franchise in spectacular fashion.

As a finale to Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy, some fans loved it, and others hated it. The Dark Knight Rises is certainly a complicated, busy movie, with massively different takes on characters like Bane and Catwoman, and the ending was both a departure from the comics and very unexpected. It's a pretty great movie, though, and Nolan made a lot of bold choices here.

1. The Dark Knight

Score: 94%

Rotten or Fresh? Certified Fresh

Critics Consensus: Dark, complex, and unforgettable, The Dark Knight succeeds not just as an entertaining comic book film, but as a richly thrilling crime saga.

A masterpiece, The Dark Knight once again saw The Joker overshadow Batman himself, but Christian Bale was at his best here...even when his "Batvoice" was not. An intense crime thriller, the Caped Crusader's world remained grounded in reality for the sequel, but that worked for Christopher Nolan, and the filmmaker set a benchmark here which has yet to be surpassed by another movie.

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Reveals Plan To Restore Superman's Humanity In Scrapped Sequels

Recommended For You:

DC Studios Rumored To Be Planning A JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL Movie

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

34 Comments

CyberNigerian - 11/16/2020, 5:15 AM

Congrats to him.

Dude is living his dream.

tmp3 - 11/16/2020, 5:24 AM

I'm not a big fan of Leto as an actor, but I just found out he climbs w/ Alex Honnold fairly often, which is really cool.

tmp3 - 11/16/2020, 5:29 AM

I still think he'll be embarrassingly bad in these reshoots though

DeadClunge - 11/16/2020, 5:24 AM

I remember thinking those Batman and Robin costumes (with the silver) looked amazing as a kid 😭

bkmeijer2 - 11/16/2020, 5:34 AM

@DaClungerlorian - there is maybe a bit too much silver, but I think they looked great too. And I still like George Clooney as Batman (yeah, I said it)

DeadClunge - 11/16/2020, 5:57 AM

@bkmeijer - LOL if they come on TV I still watch them...like the movies are trash by today's standards but still enjoyable (even the one liners)

bkmeijer2 - 11/16/2020, 7:05 AM

@DaClungerlorian - the one-liners is probably my favorite thing about the movie. I need a truck for the amount of cheese in this movie

THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 11/16/2020, 8:23 AM

@DaClungerlorian - Hey, they still are lol. I know it was just to sell toys, but I loved how Batman would wear an upgraded suit for the final battle in the Schumacher films.

DeadClunge - 11/16/2020, 12:31 PM

@THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - ha ha ha same, I even loved the suit up scenes. The homoerotic ass and cod piece shots when over my head as a child lol

bkmeijer2 - 11/16/2020, 5:32 AM

''this would be a cool thing to do''

Not everything that is cool has to be in it, especially because it sounds like it doesn't serve the plot. But since Joker is gonna be in it and Batman is quite lethal, I hope the scene is just Batman killing the Joker. I guess it would fit in this universe.

ScreenTime - 11/16/2020, 7:44 AM

@bkmeijer -had the exact same thought ... "this would be cool to do..." is not always the right thing to do. We'll see if he lives up to that...

Dannywest - 11/16/2020, 5:55 AM

I'm beginning to think Zack Snyder is the Rob Liefeld of Comic Book Movies

Superheromoviefan - 11/16/2020, 6:02 AM

@Dannywest -

Superheromoviefan - 11/16/2020, 6:00 AM

he really has no idea what he is doing

TheBigLebowski - 11/16/2020, 6:39 AM

Never have I ever heard a reasoning for a creative decision from Snyder other than ’would be cool’

johnnymarr - 11/16/2020, 6:46 AM

The level of pandering to Zack Snyder's whims and wishes is unbelievable. By the same warped logic, every director who ever failed in a DC movie could receive a chance to go back and revise their films. Joel Schumacher, Pitof, Martin Campbell, Whedon... they all deserved a new "Cut".

Elbarto63 - 11/16/2020, 7:52 AM

So Im guessing this guy will tease the Legion of Doom, or Injustice League right at the end of the movie. Then we will inevitably have months and years of #releasethejusticeleague2 or some crap like that. When will this end!!??

RedLanternKara - 11/16/2020, 8:32 AM

I've used this site for years and I made this account just to let you all know that it has to be the most toxic fanbase i've seen. Fans wanted the Snyder cut, for that alone you called them trolls. Now that he's trying to actually give people what they want, you think it's HIS ego out of control.

Just for the record, I hated the original JL and didn't care for any kind of new cut but it all seems pretty cool to me as mainly a Marvel fan (minus the trailer song). This site, all it's consistantly negative commenters and most of all JoshWilding with his multiple page ad scheme can go to hell.

Reply, ban me, delete this. It matters not.

JohnnyTBP - 11/16/2020, 8:40 AM

Some guy on here argued with me that Leto was apart of his original cut awhile back. I just proved him wrong twice

TheMapleSyrup - 11/16/2020, 9:57 AM

I'm stoked for this thing. It'll be Bananas. I wonder how shoehorned Joker is going to feel, or it will actually flow well

Related Headlines

Justice League

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Reveals Plan To Restore Superman's "Humanity" In Scrapped Sequels

JoshWilding

2 days ago

Justice League (Animated)

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART THREE Teaser Features Kevin Conroy's Batman And Mark Hamill's Joker

JoshWilding

3 days ago

Justice League (Animated)

Will JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED Get An X-MEN '97-Style Revival? DC Studios Boss James Gunn Weighs In

JoshWilding

6 days ago

Related Headlines

Justice League

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Reveals Plan To Restore Superman's "Humanity" In Scrapped Sequels

JoshWilding

2 days ago

Justice League (Animated)

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART THREE Teaser Features Kevin Conroy's Batman And Mark Hamill's Joker

JoshWilding

3 days ago

Justice League (Animated)

Will JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED Get An X-MEN '97-Style Revival? DC Studios Boss James Gunn Weighs In

JoshWilding

6 days ago

Justice League

DC Studios Rumored To Be Planning A JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL Movie

JoshWilding

Apr 27, 2024 04:04 AM

Netflix

Zack Snyder Shares First Official Look At His TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Animated Series

MarkCassidy

Apr 25, 2024 08:04 AM

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART 2 Spoilers: Batman Beyond Disappoints But Stage Is Set For Epic PART 3

Justice League (Animated)

Star Wars

New STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE Trailer Unveils The Mysterious Villain Hunting The Jedi

MarkCassidy

4 hours ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Gets Some Awesome New Promo Posters As Josh Brolin Now Teases Possible Cable Return

JoshWilding

4 hours ago

Latest Headlines

Video Games

BATMAN: ARKHAM SHADOW Announced Exclusively For Meta Quest 3

MattIsForReal

1 hour ago

Star Wars

New STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE Trailer Unveils The Mysterious Villain Hunting The Jedi

MarkCassidy

4 hours ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Gets Some Awesome New Promo Posters As Josh Brolin Now Teases Possible Cable Return

JoshWilding

4 hours ago

Star Wars

TALES OF THE EMPIRE Recap: Morgan Elsbeth's Origin Story Is Revealed As [SPOILER] Makes His Return

JoshWilding

5 hours ago

Marvel Studios

Rotten Tomatoes Reveals Best-Reviewed Superhero Film Ever In List Of "300 Best Movies Of All Time"

JoshWilding

6 hours ago

Star Wars

TALES OF THE EMPIRE Recap: Barriss Offee's Fate Is Revealed Along With Some Major Cameos - SPOILERS

JoshWilding

6 hours ago

Hot Headlines

185 comments

THE BOYS And THE MANDALORIAN Actor Giancarlo Esposito Has Joined The MCU - But Not As Professor X

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

147 comments

HARRY POTTER Star Daniel Radcliffe Hits Back At Claims He Should Be Grateful To J.K. Rowling For His Career

JoshWilding

1 day ago EST

135 comments

BLACK PANTHER Star Winston Duke Is Campaigning To Play BATMAN In The DCU

MarkCassidy

2 days ago EST

116 comments

BLACK ADAM Star The Rock Reportedly Only Returned To Wrestling Because Of Failing Hollywood Career

JoshWilding

2 days ago EST

113 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

Disney Favorites MICKEY Mouse And WINNIE-The-Pooh Will Do Battle In New Horror Movie

More Cartoons & Animated ►

APEX LEGENDS: UPHEAVAL Gameplay Trailer Shows Off New Legend Alter

More Anime & Manga ►

MAXXXINE Officially Rated-R For Gore, Sexual Content, & Graphic Nudity; New Still Released

More Horror ►

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Production Designer Pawas Sawatchaiyamet On Working With Dev Patel

More Action Movies & TV ►

New Details Emerge About Original Plans For The Rock At WRESTLEMANIA 40...Including A Major Title Change!

More Pro Wrestling ►

THE ACOLYTE Official Trailer Unveils STAR WARS Show's Mysterious Sith Villain

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Reveals Whether Jared Leto's Joker Was Part Of His Theatrical Cut

Oscar-winner Jared Leto was recently added to the cast of Zack Snyder's Justice League, and the filmmaker has now revealed whether he always planned to include the Clown Prince of Crime in his movie...

10. Batman & Robin

9. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

8. Batman Forever

7. Justice League

6. Batman (1989)

5. Batman: The Movie

4. Batman Returns

3. Batman Begins

2. The Dark Knight Returns

1. The Dark Knight

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Reveals Plan To Restore Superman's "Humanity" In Scrapped Sequels

DC Studios Rumored To Be Planning A JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL Movie

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Reveals Plan To Restore Superman's "Humanity" In Scrapped Sequels

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART THREE Teaser Features Kevin Conroy's Batman And Mark Hamill's Joker

Will JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED Get An X-MEN '97-Style Revival? DC Studios Boss James Gunn Weighs In

JUSTICE LEAGUE Director Zack Snyder Reveals Plan To Restore Superman's "Humanity" In Scrapped Sequels

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART THREE Teaser Features Kevin Conroy's Batman And Mark Hamill's Joker

Will JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED Get An X-MEN '97-Style Revival? DC Studios Boss James Gunn Weighs In

DC Studios Rumored To Be Planning A JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL Movie

Zack Snyder Shares First Official Look At His TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Animated Series

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART 2 Spoilers: Batman Beyond Disappoints But Stage Is Set For Epic PART 3

Popular Headlines

THE BOYS And THE MANDALORIAN Actor Giancarlo Esposito Has Joined The MCU - But Not As Professor X

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE Banner Seemingly Reveals The Show's Masked Sith Villain

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Rumor Claims To Reveal Role Of Adamantium In The Movie - Possible SPOILERS

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Still Officially Reveals Sam Wilson's Suit As Director Teases Leader's Role

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Synopsis Reveals Some Intriguing New Plot Details - SPOILERS

BATMAN: ARKHAM SHADOW Announced Exclusively For Meta Quest 3

New STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE Trailer Unveils The Mysterious Villain Hunting The Jedi

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Gets Some Awesome New Promo Posters As Josh Brolin Now Teases Possible Cable Return

BATMAN: ARKHAM SHADOW Announced Exclusively For Meta Quest 3

New STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE Trailer Unveils The Mysterious Villain Hunting The Jedi

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Gets Some Awesome New Promo Posters As Josh Brolin Now Teases Possible Cable Return

TALES OF THE EMPIRE Recap: Morgan Elsbeth's Origin Story Is Revealed As [SPOILER] Makes His Return

Rotten Tomatoes Reveals Best-Reviewed Superhero Film Ever In List Of "300 Best Movies Of All Time"

TALES OF THE EMPIRE Recap: Barriss Offee's Fate Is Revealed Along With Some Major Cameos - SPOILERS

Hot Headlines

THE BOYS And THE MANDALORIAN Actor Giancarlo Esposito Has Joined The MCU - But Not As Professor X

HARRY POTTER Star Daniel Radcliffe Hits Back At Claims He Should Be Grateful To J.K. Rowling For His Career

BLACK PANTHER Star Winston Duke Is Campaigning To Play BATMAN In The DCU

BLACK ADAM Star The Rock Reportedly Only Returned To Wrestling Because Of Failing Hollywood Career

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Live-Action Movie Sets 2026 Release; Synopsis Reveals Major Change To He-Man's Origin

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

THE ACOLYTE Official Trailer Unveils STAR WARS Show's Mysterious Sith Villain

MEGALOPOLIS: Adam Driver Stops Time In First Trailer For Francis Ford Coppola's Sci-Fi Epic

David Leitch Reveals Why He Decided Not To Direct New JURASSIC WORLD Movie

ALIEN: ROMULUS - Cailee Spaeny's Rain Carradine Wields A BIG Gun In New Stills

TALES OF THE EMPIRE Reveals Barriss Offee's Final Fate And Explores Fortress Inquisitorius - SPOILERS

STAR WARS: TALES OF THE EMPIRE Reveals Morgan Elsbeth's Dark Past And Features Some Big Cameos - SPOILERS

Cartoons & Animated Features

Disney Favorites MICKEY Mouse And WINNIE-The-Pooh Will Do Battle In New Horror Movie

X-MEN '97: Beau DeMayo Hints At What's To Come In Next Week's Episode - Possible SPOILERS

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: Jason Aaron's Comic Book Relaunch Will See Raphael Behind Bars

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Movie Sets Theatrical Release; New Synopsis Reveals Major Lore Changes

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Breaks Down "Tolerance Is Extinction" And Reveals Whether That Was The Amazing [SPOILER]

SAUSAGE PARTY: FOODTOPIA - Prime Video's Sequel Series Gets A Suitably Salacious First Poster

Gaming

APEX LEGENDS: UPHEAVAL Gameplay Trailer Shows Off New Legend Alter

Sony Is Forcing All HELLDIVERS 2 Players On Steam To Connect To A PlayStation Network Account

SENUA'S SAGA: HELLBLADE II PC System Requirements Revealed

RESIDENT EVIL 9 Rumored To Launch In January 2025; Reveal Could Be Coming Soon

Sony Reveals Free PS PLUS Games Coming To PS5 And PS4 In May 2024

BATMAN: ARKHAM SHADOW Teased For Meta Quest; Full Reveal Coming In June

Anime & Manga

DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA Teases One-Hour Special Premiere For Season 4

MY HERO ACADEMIA Season 7 Now Streaming On Crunchyroll; Watch The Creditless Opening And Ending Themes

Netflix's AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Executive Producer On Potential KORRA Live-Action Adaptation

ONE-PUNCH MAN Season 3 Releases New Hero Visual For Genos

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Seasons 2 And 3 Will Continue To Condense The Original Anime's Storyline

KAIJU NO. 8 Reveals Episode 4 Synopsis And Stills; Confirms Actors For Two Major Characters

Horror

MAXXXINE Officially Rated-R For "Gore, Sexual Content, & Graphic Nudity;" New Still Released

THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER Follow-Up Enlists Mike Flanagan To Direct

MANDY Director Panos Cosmatos To Helm FLESH OF THE GODS Starring Kristen Stewart & Oscar Isaac

MICKEY MOUSE Vs. WINNIE-THE-POOH Horror Movie In The Works From Untouchables Entertainment

M3GAN 2.0 Casts AHSOKA Star Ivanna Sakhno In Major Role

TERRIFIER 3: Art The Clown Is Up To His Old Tricks In First Official Promo Still

Action Movies & TV