It’s time to begin the final countdown towards Suicide Squad people, bring out your party hats and get ready to have a ball! But seriously, it is an anticipated movie after-all and fans of DC are really hoping that this will relight the limelight for the company after the mixed-bag that is Batman v Superman. With an array of iconic characters and stars to fill their shoes its hard to think how this film could possibly go wrong. After-all we have yet to see a superhero movie solely dedicated to a band of villains trying to save the world. Despite all that is going on within this movie there is one element, other than the first onscreen appearance of Harley Quinn, that could easily over shadow everything and that is The Joker. Allow me to count down my Top 6 reasons why I think this could happen.
6. A New Portrayal
This is an obvious reason as fans of the character (such as myself) will be looking forward to seeing how the new guy, Jared Leto, takes to the role and what he may/or may not bring to the table. It’s always exciting to see how film adaptions adapt narratives and characters and The Joker is one of the most iconic comic-book super-villain out there, so naturally it is always a big deal seeing how he is portrayed onscreen.
Also I suppose fans will want to compare Leto’s performance to past Jokers, i.e. Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and perhaps even Mark Hamill. I sit on this bandwagon without shame as I am really excited to see how Leto acts in the role, and since I like his work in his band, 30 Seconds to Mars, it will be fascinating seeing the singer portray such an unbalanced, psychotic, and yet comical, character.
5. Encounter with Suicide Squad
I’m actually really curious to see how he fits into the narrative of this film, considering it will revolve around the Suicide Squad. But of course at some point, you would hope, he will bump into them and it shall be a monumental moment within the film. You’ve got the likes of Deadshot, Killer Croc and Captain Boomerang being brought before the most deadliest DC villain of them all. How are they going to react? Will they know him from his reputation and if so will they feel intimidated?
I hope some of them are but it would be great to have at least one of the villains get cocky with The Joker only for him to show-off what he can do, resulting in the said villain crapping his pants. Either-way, you’d expect a scene to be made out of this moment with The Joker showing off in the most glamorous, theatrical performance that will leave the Suicide Squad stunned. Put it this way, The Joker is definitely going to be the centre of attention. Also, it will be interesting to see where Harley’s allegiances lay in that given moment.
4. Joker Moments
I suppose one thing that will steal the show is anticipating really good Joker moments. Judging from the trailer we’ll have some great moments where The Joker gets to show off what he can do. There are definitely indications that he will storm Arkham Asylum and also clearly has an army of minions at his disposal. Also it will be fascinating to see where he sits within the hierarchy of the DC Extended Universe. There is also his iconic lines from the trailer, “Oh, I’m not going to kill you. I’m just going to hurt you really, really bad.” and “I can’t wait to show you my new toys.” In these moments he just seems so sinister with that creepy smile on his face. He looks both unbalanced and yet happy, a perfect balance of the usual Joker traits. It will be interesting to see how many different sides to Joker we will see but I guarantee each will be a highlight of the film.
3. Relationship with Harley
Harley Quinn is certainly the second highlight of Suicide Squad but of course we all want to know about her relationship to Joker and how her relationship to him pans out within this universe. It is already established through the trailers that Joker will capture and torture Harley, possibly becoming the reasoning as to why she becomes insane. But there is also indications, through publicity photos, that we will see the Arkham sessions in which Harley tried to phycologically understand the Clown Prince of Crime, which will open a new door for how a film interpretation of the character can be developed and shown.
Adding Harley into the mix will only enhance his character and further his dark, twisted characteristics towards a new level of understanding. I guess it will be interesting to see how The Joker plays off Harley just as much as it will be interesting to see how she plays off him. Either-way, their relationship is a complicated one and I’m glad we will finally see it develop on the big-screen (along with millions of other fans).
2. HAHAH! Joke’s On You Batman!!
This refers to the reference in Batman v Superman where Batman looks upon Robin’s old costume which has this very phrase graffiti-ed on it. And since Batman will appear in Suicide Squad I think it’s fair to say that this is a moment that is highly anticipated because we will see the first onscreen encounter between Leto’s Joker and Ben Afleck‘s Batman. This is something I’m really looking forward to because I’m hoping we’ll get some answers into why Afleck’s Batman is so unhinged. Was it because The Joker pushed him over the edge? Even if we don’t get any answers or references towards past events I am still looking forward to seeing how the new Batman and Joker play-off against one another.
1. Because He’s The Joker!!
This one may seem like a cheat for the number 1 spot but it’s extremely accurate. If you told people that this film featured Deadshot and The Enchantress people would look on in confusion as to whether they should get excited, but by announcing The Joker will be in it then everybody looses their minds! The Joker is a very iconic figure within the comic-book universe and is universally known. His character is a fan favourite because of his different levels of insanity and the fact he is a perfect villain that delivers the best one-liners, the best chilling moments, the best comedy moments and above all feels threatening without even the usage of abilities.
I for one got more excited about Suicide Squad just because it was announced Joker was going to be in it and each trailer served to give me a tiny bit more foresight into what the new Joker would be like, becoming my highlighted moments. The rest of the film obviously still looks good but it’s The Joker’s appearance that I’m most looking forward to (and for good reason). It begs the question of “Would I be as interested in this film had The Joker not been in it?” I guess time will tell on that one.
And there you have it, my Top 6 reasons in which I think The Joker could steal the spotlight in Suicide Squad. I guess I could’ve just jumped straight to my No. 1 reason but where’s the fun in that (though it is technically true). But of course this is just my opinion. Do you think The Joker will be the biggest highlight of the film or do you think Suicide Squad‘s other elements will be just as big, if not better? Sound off in the comments or send us your thoughts on Twitter!
