The trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice brought forth a brand new theory that has been making waves concerning the upcoming DC Comics film, Suicide Squad . The theory , which should be noted is pure speculation at this point, involves Jared Leto’s version of the Joker and how he might not be the original villain that has been portrayed in the comics and recent films.
The rumor surfaced after the release of the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer, which showed a glimpse of Robin’s damaged costume hanging in Batman’s cave. Although some thought the image was meant to indicate that Robin had met his end at the hands of the Joker, that might not be the case.
After the release of the trailer, fans began to speculate that perhaps Leto’s Joker isn’t the original Joker at all. Instead, he might be Robin, who was somehow tortured, manipulated, and turned into the Joker.
To back up this theory, both the Robin costume and the still shots of Leto as the Joker have puncture wounds in the same shoulder areas. Further, Leto’s portrayal of the Joker is a much younger version than Ben Affleck’s Batman . This difference in age makes sense if the Joker was actually Robin, especially considering the Joker and Batman have a long history of fighting each other.
Although the theory is only supported by the little bit of evidence in the trailer, the idea isn’t a new one. In fact, one version of Robin turned into the Joker in the DC Animated Universe’s Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker . This would seem to add a little more credence to the idea that filmmakers might follow suit.
Additionally, the Joker and Robin share a lot of past moments together. In particular, Robin has been captured, tortured, and murdered by the famed villain on numerous occasions. If this is the case and Robin really did turn into the Joker in the new movie, then one quote from the Dawn of Justice trailer does make a little more sense.
“20 years in Gotham, how many good guys are left? How many stayed that way?” Bruce Wayne tells Alfred.
Despite the supporting evidence and the fact that this new theory would certainly add a new twist to the Joker, the truth probably won’t be revealed until Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is released.
Suicide Squad is set to hit theaters on August 5, 2016, while Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is scheduled for a March 25, 2016, release.
[Image Courtesy: Warner Bros.]