Suicide Squad Director Reveal New Terrifying Look At Jared Leto’s Joker

Jared Leto as Joker

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The DC Extended Universe is a fascinating place, and there's been a ton of recent changes to the franchise. In addition to the upcoming theatrical release of Wonder Woman 1984, fans were thrilled to learn that the Snyder Cut of Justice League will be completed and released over on HBO Max. That same fandom quickly pivoted their focus to David Ayer's Suicide Squad, as the filmmaker has openly spoken about the studio interference that hindered his vision for the movie. And now Ayer has shared a new terrifying image of Jared Leto as Joker.

Despite the excitement and anticipation for the villain-centric movie, Suicide Squad failed to resonate with audiences when it hit theaters in 2017. David Ayer has been open about how much material was left on the cutting room floor, as the studio pushed for a more comedic Deadpool-esque tone. The filmmaker occasionally shares new images from his cut scenes, and the latest shot of Jared Leto's Joker is pretty spooky. Check it out below.

Joker in black and white

Mr. J is not looking exactly like a bowl of puddin' in this shot. While Joker had a tertiary presence in Suicide Squad's theatrical cut, there were plenty of scenes featuring the character that were cut out of the film. And in shots like this, we can truly see the psychotic villain coming to life. But will we ever be able to see the footage?

The above shot of Jared Leto in Suicide Squad comes to us from David Ayer's personal Instagram. He shared the image on his story, which occasionally includes tidbits of information about his infamous DC blockbuster. In fact, these posts have been posted more frequent since DC fans began actively campaigning for the #AyerCut.

HBO Max is currently streaming Suicide Squad, and will release the Snyder Cut in 2020. You can use this link to sign up for the new streaming service.

In the years since Suicide Squad hit theaters (and had a strong box office performance), David Ayer has shared bits of information and photos of the myriad scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor. Jared Leto's Joker suffered the most from the cuts, with Ayer admitting that Harley Quinn's story was "eviscerated." Some abandoned scenes included a love triangle with Harley and Deadshot, Katana turning on the team after being possessed by Enchantress, and Joker's involvement in the final confrontation.

Despite being a critical failure, Suicide Squad was a success in a variety of ways. The movie made a ton of money at the box office, taking in a whopping

$746.8 million. It also served as a base for two different spinoffs: Birds of Prey and James Gunn's upcoming soft reboot The Suicide Squad. Additionally, Ayer's movie won an Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

There's no telling if the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad will ever meet the light of day, but David Ayer has maintained that it would be easy to complete. The filmmaker has encouraged the fans to campaign for the project, although it took years for the Snyder Cut to eventually find a home (and budget) on HBO Max. Only time will tell.

The next installment in the DCEU is Wonder Woman 1984 on October 2nd. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.