When Suicide Squad was nearing its release in 2016, it was being marketed as if the movie was all about Jared Leto’s portrayal of the iconic character and Batman’s arch-nemesis, the Joker. But disappointingly, the final cut of the movie has less than 10 minutes of footage featuring the character, and it left a lot to be desired.
Not only that, but it was such a strange approach to the character considering his tattoos, his actions, and his relationship with Harley Quinn. However, through some incredible fan’s theories, and others that take some liberties but are still brilliantly creative, Leto’s Joker has been given some fascinating backstories that makes his depiction of the character a much easier pill to swallow.
Harley Replacements
Though Joker was arguably unfairly dropped from Birds of Prey, there are still loads of stuff out there about Suicide Squad and what fans could have seen if not for Warner Bros meddling with it in post-production.
At several points in the movie, women dressed in red can be seen hanging around behind the Joker, and this wasn’t for no reason. Fans theorized that this was because Joker replaced Harley Quinn while she was in prison. And of all the theories, this is the one that has actually been confirmed by director David Ayer, sort of.
The Joker Is Jason Todd
One popular theory is that the Joker has a much deeper history with Batman, and if this is the case, it would explain a lot of questions fans have about Leto’s Joker. In the Batman comics, Jason Todd was the second Robin, making him a lot younger than Batman, and as the Joker in Suicide Squad looks so much younger than Batfleck, it would make total sense.
Not only that, but in Batman v Superman, Alfred mentions that Bruce Wayne has been Batman for 20 years, and he questions how many people in that time have “stayed good,” which could be referring to Jason Todd’s transformation into the clown prince of crime.
Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker Who Tortured Him
With the idea that Leto’s Joker was once Batman’s side-kick, the theory doesn’t end there. One Redditor took it a step further by theorizing that he isn’t the first joker, but the second Joker who became who he is after he was tortured by Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, Arthur Fleck.
Even though it’s said that Joker is a standalone movie that borrowed from 80s classics and is not in the same universe as Suicide Squad, it makes for a fascinating crossover. Though the timelines don’t perfectly add up, it’s a neat potential connection between the two worlds.
He Is Angel Face From Fight Club
An Academy Award winning actor, Jared Leto has a whole slew of iconic performances under his belt, and one of his earliest and most memorable performances is as Angel Face in Fight Club. Though the movie would look a lot different if it was recast today, Leto played Angel Face brilliantly, and his most important scene comes when the Narrator beats him to a bloody pulp.
This fan thinks that Angel Face getting his teeth knocked out could explain the Joker’s current dental state, and after Tyler was killed at the end of Fight Club, Angel Face took over Project Mayhem and eventually transformed into the joker. And leading Project Mayhem could explain all of the Joker’s cult followers too.
He Got A Bird Tattoo After Killing Robin
Given that this depiction of the Joker is covered in tattoos, some fans have spotted a tattoo of a bird on his arm. Though the popular theory goes that the character is Robin, or at least used to be, this theory claims that he killed Robin, which is directly in response to a fan saying the character has a tattoo of a bird because he is Robin.
The meaning of the tattoo is completely ambiguous, and it could go either way, but whatever the truth is, Robin has gone through some rough times.
Arather Fleck Gets Killed By Joker And Harley
Since the release of Joker, fans have been excitedly finding ways to link the two universes together, and it doesn’t end with the idea of Arthur Fleck torturing Leto’s character.
Another theory expands on the relationship between the two Jokers, and it explains that Joker and Harley spend some quality time together by murdering Fleck after he turned Jason Todd into the person that he became. However, it doesn’t really make sense why Harley Quinn would help, as Joker essentially did the same thing to her, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
Why He Wears Grills
The idea that the Joker could actually be Angel Face from Fight Club and had his teeth knocked out by the Narrator isn’t the only explanation behind why the character wears grills. Though the theory was written before the release of Suicide Squad and posited a scene that might be in the movie that didn’t end up happening, it still hasn’t been disproven. The Joker doesn’t wear grills just for the style.
It could be that it’s a reference to Batman: Under The Red Hood, an animated movie that depicts Batman beating the hell out of Joker, knocking out all of his teeth in the process, which could have happened in the movie universe.
Harley Quinn Was Pregnant And The Joker Was The Father
In the same shot where one of the Harley replacements can be seen, there are some baby jumpers laid out along with all of the Joker’s artillery in his hotel room, which has led many to speculate about a pregnancy subplot that was cut.
Harley was pregnant in Batman: Arkham City, which was an extremely popular and revelatory video game, so it wouldn’t be surprising if it had an influence on the movie. And given how there is over 90 minutes of unused Joker footage on the cutting room floor, it could very well be possible.
Joker’s Tattoos Aren’t About Him, But About Batman
When the first teaser image of Joker was first released, it led to a huge backlash, as nobody believed that the character would intentionally get damaged inked on his forehead, or get “haha” tattooed all over his chest for hours.
But this theory ingeniously posits that the tattoos aren’t about the Joker, but Batman, and that his whole body is a canvas for their history. The teeth on the back of his hand means he can still laugh at Batman despite having his real teeth knocked out, and it even gives credit to the idea that he has a bird tattoo because he murdered Robin.
Arthur Fleck Is The Joker’s Father
Even when the two Jokers aren’t being compared to one another, fans are trying to pair them together. And though the most popular theory of them all is that Fleck tortured Leto’s Joker, the most interesting is that they’re actually tied together by blood.
The timeline adds up, as it’s the late 1980’s in Joker. And it makes the possibilities of why the child followed in his father’s footsteps so fascinating and something that could be explored in Leto’s own Joker movie.
