Despite Reports, Jared Leto’s Joker Will Not Feature In ‘Justice League’

One thing is certain, film goers love a good rumor. With the invention of the internet, web accessibility is at an all-time high, and cinema is more prominent in social culture than ever before, the R-word has become an almost uncontrollable beast. Deciphering fact from fiction is very difficult in this modern day and age, especially when cinema is concerned, so it’s down to the reporters to separate the two and leave us with the truth.

One rumor that has been circulating for some time is the appearance of the Joker in upcoming superhero blockbuster Justice League. Having made his debut as the Clown Prince of Crime in Suicide Squad, Jared Leto has been linked with the movie on numerous occasions. For example, Cinema Blend broke the news of his flight to London in June, a report that suggested he was attending the production set of Justice League. With Batman spearheading the movie and the two reuniting in Suicide Squad, an appearance for the Joker, be it a cameo or otherwise, made perfect sense, right?

Well, no. According to reports this week, that rumor has now been debunked and details have confirmed that Jared Leto’s Joker will not feature in Justice League.

The revelation comes from Umberto Gonzalez at The Wrap. According to a tweet on his Twitter account, the most recent rumor that suggests a Jared Leto appearance in Justice League is totally false.

Sorry DC fanboys. Yesterday's rumor that surfaced about Jared Leto being in JUSTICE LEAGUE? Unfortunately, not true. #DEADED

— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe) September 13, 2016

Icelandic tourism site Westfjords broke the news that production on Justice League is set to relocate to the country later in 2016. In the online article, they include a run down of the stellar cast, a list that includes Jared Leto as part of the ensemble. Gonzalez has since confirmed that Leto, and the Joker, will not feature in the movie despite this cast listing. Multiple reports and rumors have come through about Leto’s potential presence in the movie, and will probably continue to do so, but maybe this will lay the issue to rest once and for all. After all, they are just rumors.

Although nothing has been confirmed, Warner Bros. may have tweaked their latest movie in favor of slimming down the content, which could suggest a few cut characters. A lot is riding on the success of Justice League after a disappointing 2016, and if anything has been learned from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it’s that the film was crammed with a whole host of popular characters. Where some fans loved this, many critics found flaws with it, citing that some characters were simply lost in the shuffle. Ironically, less is certainly more when it comes to certain cinematic blockbuster casts, and it seems Warner Bros. have now realized this.

Besides, Batman v Superman has already introduced us to a majority of the Justice League members. They just need to focus on those characters and their enemies during the film. Again, Warner Bros. will be wary of that following the positive reception of the Justice League trailer. There’s no need to introduce unnecessary supporting villains into the fray. The Joker suffered from the same position in Suicide Squad, and was turned into a supporting character despite the Joker-heavy marketing campaign. Many thought he would be a major villain in the movie, which never happened, so in that light, keeping him out of Justice League might be a sensible idea.

The Joker might not feature in Justice League, which might be a wise decision on the studio’s part, but you can still expect his presence to drive Batman/Bruce Wayne on his quest since his mark was already felt during Batman v Superman. Batman may be fighting other foes in the superhero blockbuster come 2017, but the Joker is never far away. The key question is simple, will Leto’s Joker return in the near future?

With Deathstroke practically confirmed for the Batman solo movie, it makes you wonder how the Clown Prince of Crime will feature, if at all, in the movie. The golden rule is to never say never, especially when Hollywood is concerned. Whatever happens, we can expect many more rumors and reports to shed light on this before the cast is finally confirmed.

Justice League will be released in cinemas on November 17, 2017. The trailer can be seen below.

[Featured Image by Warner Bros. Motion Pictures]