Jared Leto to return as Joker in ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’

Jared Leto is set to reprise his role as the DC villain Joker in the highly-anticipated “Snyder’s Cut” of the 2017 movie Justice League.

The director’s cut of the film, set for release on HBO Max in 2021, will be divided into 4 hour-long episodes. It’s the version of the final movie director Zack Synder had intended before stepped down from the production. The 2017 movie, which included significant reshoots from by filmmaker Joss Whedon, tanked in the box office.

Variety reports that it’s unclear if Leto was originally intended to reprise the role prior to Synder’s stepping down and Whedon’s reshoots or if he is a new addition to the 2021 director’s cut. Leto is reportedly joining other cast members to shoot scenes for the movie this week.

The movie opens two possibilities, according to Variety – of the 2016 film Suicide Squad tying into the 2021 version of Justice League and of potential future projects involving the character in the DC Extended Universe.

According to Variety, Justice League producers Geoff Johns and Jon Berg will not be credited in the Zack Snyder version, on account of their lack of involvement in the 2021 project.

Justice League, released in 2017, starred Henry Cavil (Superman), Ben Affleck (Batman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Jason Mamoa (Aquaman), Ezra Miller (The Flash),  Ray Fisher (Cyborg), and Amy Adams (Lois Lane), among others. It did not feature the Joker.  

In 2019, Leto told Variety that he was still interested in reprising his role as the Joker . “I would definitely play the Joker again. It all depends on the script and the circumstances, as it always does,” he said.

Leto’s character did not appear in Birds of Prey, starring Margot Robbie, which was released in 2020. The character is not set to appear in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, according to Variety. – with reports from Winona Castelo/Rappler.com