The Joker is the epitome of comic book villainy, but the Knightmare Joker seen in Zack Snyder’s Justice League is by far the most unique version of the character to date.
The Snyder Cut
The legend of the Snyder Cut is a saga unto itself, and one of its biggest twists is the handful of extra scenes Snyder filmed in late 2020 ahead of the movie’s 2021 release. Included among them are an additional tease of the Knightmare future first seen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which includes Jared Leto reprising his role as the Joker from 2016’s Suicide Squad.
The movie’s Knightmare epilogue is one of many elements in Zack Snyder’s Justice League that continues to keep fan interest in Snyder’s five-movie arc being completed an ongoing topic of discussion. Moreover, in bringing Leto’s Joker back in the revamped Knightmare Joker iteration of the character, Snyder also presents what is quite arguably the most original and unique version of Mr. J – quite an accomplishment indeed for a villain who has been around nearly as long as Batman himself.
Knightmare Joker Is Unique In Every Aspect (Including His Look)
Simply put, there’s never been a Clown Prince of Crime like Knightmare Joker before in virtually any medium, whether in movies, comics, television, or animation. The post-apocalyptic setting of the Knightmare alone makes Knightmare Joker unique, while his appearance is also an especially fresh version of Mr. J. Clad in a straitjacket, a police riot vest adorned with the badges of officers murdered by his hand, and even orange scrubbing gloves, Knightmare Joker’s facial features also carry a decidedly nightmarish quality.
Knightmare Joker’s much longer green hair is a nice heavy metal-style touch, while the haphazardly applied red smile on his mouth and teeth suggest human blood as Mr. J’s choice of make-up material. Arguably the closest preceding version of the Joker to Knightmare Joker is the skinned-face version from the comics, with the Joker having his face surgically removed and wearing it again as a mask. Even still, the post-apocalyptic, maniacal, truce-striking Clown Prince of Crime is as unique as it gets in the many re-imaginings the Joker has undergone. And speaking of striking truces…
No Other Cinematic Joker Has Ever Teamed-Up With Batman
Many talented actors have portrayed the Joker in live-action, including Caesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix, and Barry Keoghan. Yet none have ever done what Jared Leto’s Knightmare Joker does – he strikes a truce with Batman to undo the Knightmare timeline and save the world from Darkseid (Ray Porter). That attribute by itself makes the Knightmare epilogue of Zack Snyder’s Justice League distinct from virtually any live-action comic book movie, but the scene itself also deepens the importance of Batman and Knightmare Joker’s Knightmare team-up.
The Knightmare epilogue of Zack Snyder’s Justice League touches just enough on the extremely bitter history between the Dark Knight and Mr. J, notably on the Joker’s role as the murderer of Robin. What makes that an even bigger twist in Snyder’s film is that Dick Grayson, rather than Jason Todd, is the Robin slain by the Joker, which establishes Ben Affleck’s Batman as having a much darker early history as the Caped Crusader, and the idea of joining forces with the Joker under any circumstances a bitter pill for him to swallow. The Joker, of course, takes full advantage of this.
Even As Batman’s Ally, Knightmare Joker Is Still A Villain
Despite Batman’s warning to “Be very careful with the next thing you say”, the Joker wastes no time in gloating about his killing of Robin even as he strikes a truce with Batman to stop Darkseid. What’s more, the Knightmare Joker still finds humour in the world being conquered by Apolokips, as seen when he laughs upon the arrival of Henry Cavill’s Anti-Life Equation-controlled Superman. Even though he’s technically a good guy in the Knightmare, the Joker still can’t help but relish in getting under Batman’s skin and trying to push him to his breaking point.
Zack Snyder has also shed a bit of light on why the Joker is so indispensable to Batman’s plot to undo the Knightmare timeline. At his 2023 Full Circle event, Snyder revealed that the Joker knows where a hidden stash of Kryptonite is in the desert wasteland of post-apocalyptic Earth, and that “He’s made a deal with Batman ‘Don’t kill me, and I’ll get you a tool to fight Superman.’” (via Vero).
Even as Batman’s ally on a mission to literally save the world, Knightmare still continues to dare the Dark Knight to snap, as if he secretly wishes for Batman’s mission to fail and, by proxy, claim the ultimate victory over him. Combined with his one-of-a-kind costume and make-up design and uneasy alliance with Batman, Knightmare Joker truly has no cinematic parallel, and that perhaps makes it all the more fitting that he should appear in a superhero movie with as unparalleled a history as Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
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Tell us, what are your thoughts on Jared Leto’s Knightmare Joker in Zack Snyder’s Justice League?
Zack Snyder's Justice League |
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Determined to ensure that Superman's ultimate sacrifice wasn't in vain, Bruce Wayne recruits a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. |
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| Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, Access Entertainment, DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, The Stone Quarry |
| Running Time: 242 minutes |
| Release Date: March 18, 2021 |
| Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, J. K. Simmons |
| Director: Zack Snyder |
| Writers: Chris Terrio |
| Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Superhero |
| Box Office: N/A |
