In 2015, I famously wrote an article defending the controversial look of Jared Leto’s Joker and urging everyone to give David Ayer’s Suicide Squad a reasonable chance rather than write it off from the get-go. People laughed at me then they laughed some more when the movie dropped in 2016. For the record, I didn’t hate it – but to call my relationship with it “love” would be a strong statement. Instead, I shook my head like the rest of the world, and wondered what in the world was anyone thinking here.
Often, I look back at the movie as the turning point in which everything began to unravel with Warner Bros.’ DC Extended Universe (DCEU). From here on out, those suits got their scissors out and, boy, do none of them know how to cut a film as they turned into a bunch of Edward Sphincterhands. It’s baffling how one studio could get so many things wrong (and continues to do so).
In the years since Suicide Squad, reports revealed how Warner Bros. took away control from Ayer and the theatrical cut isn’t the original movie he envisioned. Some fans urged for the release of the Ayer cut; however, this seems to be further away from happening as DC Studios co-CEOs, James Gunn and Peter Safran, eye something more of a total reboot of all things DC. (Honestly, can anyone blame them at this point?) Unlike Zack Snyder who was able to showcase his true vision of Justice League to the world, Ayer appears doomed to be remembered for a movie he didn’t have final say over.
Suicide Squad isn’t even the lowest point in the DCEU
After the half-hearted Joker: Folie à Deux put me in a bad mood and made me question why I give an eff about comic book movies if these creators keep wiping their butts on us, I decided to revisit the old DCEU. Maybe for old times’ sake. Maybe to see if I would look at anything differently with the eyes of a superhero film veteran who has experienced the worst of the worst.
In terms of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, my feelings toward them haven’t changed. They’re underrated, unappreciated, and a million times better than all the nonsense taking place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from that era. You can fight me if you disagree, but remember that Disney already owns the rights to Goofy, so you won’t be able to play that character for the House of Mouse.
Then, it came time to watch Suicide Squad… Now, I’m not about to say this is in the top 10 comic book movies of all time, nor that David Ayer is Orson Welles and Jared Leto is the second coming of Daniel Day-Lewis. However, considering the garbage that both DC and Marvel fed us in recent years, Suicide Squad is at least fairly enjoyable and harmless.
It’s simple to follow, there’s a bit of Bad Boys-esque banter between the squad, and Viola Davis remains incapable of delivering an average performance. In fact, it made me curious to see what Ayer’s cut would have looked like at this point. Surely, it can’t be worse than Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Birds of Prey (And the Long, Dumb Title That No One Remembers), right?
Okay, the Joker look is a choice, but…
The biggest sticking point about Suicide Squad remains the characterization of the Joker. According to David Ayer, there was a lot more shot for the Clown Prince of Crime, but alas, Warner Bros. did Warner Bros. things. Now, look, those tattoos are a choice – especially the “damaged” writing on his forehead – and he could have put on clothes rather than look like he’s cosplaying Cody Rhodes at the Gathering of the Juggalos. However, there’s actually nothing wrong with Leto’s portrayal of the Joker. He’s maniacal, ruthless, over the top, and cares only for his own interests – sounds a lot like Mr. J to me.
Joker: Folie à Deux tanked at the box office, but neither director Todd Phillips nor Joaquin Phoenix are experiencing the same level of lashing and vitriol that Ayer and Leto received in 2016. There’s a wild conspiracy theory that Phillips and Co. delivered a bad movie because they wanted to stick it to the studio, or how it’s some subliminal middle finger to the supposed incels who worshiped at the altar of 2019’s Joker. In other words, it’s all excuses for a terrible movie with an off-color and tepid representation of one of pop culture’s greatest villains. Oh, and the musical elements suck too.
An apology to David Ayer and Jared Leto’s Joker
In retrospect, David Ayer and Jared Leto faced the firing squad for – checks notes – bad tattoos. Yet, there are people out there with tribal designs on their biceps and butterflies on their lower back, and they get to live a life without judgment. I’d rather take a Joker with a few bad tats than one who looks like he might cry when Harley Quinn breaks up with him. At least Leto’s Joker proved that this character cares about numero uno more than anyone else.
All that said, here’s the apology promised: I’m sorry, David Ayer and Jared Leto’s Joker. If I could have seen into the future to understand how bad the character would have become in 2024, I would have fought harder for Suicide Squad. It isn’t that bad.
RELATED: Jared Leto’s Joker Has the Last Laugh Over Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck – And Fans Can’t Deny It
Suicide Squad |
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A secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse. |
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| Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, DC Films, Atlas Entertainment |
| Running Time: 123 minutes |
| Release Date: August 5, 2016 |
| Cast: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie,Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood, Cara Delevingne |
| Director: David Ayer |
| Writers: David Ayer |
| Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Superhero |
| Box Office: $746 million |
Jared Leto will always be second favorite joker behind Jack Nicholson. For me he played the joker how he’s meant to be played as homicidal maniac who enjoys what he does not emo like heath ledgers was no disrespect he did a good job i just wasn’t blown by him like everyone else was. But back leto as the joker what i love his turn as joker is that there’s so much history unshown between him and ben afflecks batman from batfleck knocking out his teeth for killing robin to batfleck breaking his ribs which is the reason Letos jokers laughs the way he does. But enough of my rambling it’s a shame we will never get to see any of this thanks to WB but anyway digress peace out.