Jared Leto made his first DCEU appearance as the Joker in last year’s Suicide Squad - and after an largely negative reaction from fans, there has been no news of when he might reprise the role. As such a major character in the Batman mythology, we can assume that he will be returning at some point in the future of the DCEU, but it looks like the Joker will not be returning for Justice League, although he could appear in either The Batman, or the recently announced Gotham City Sirens movie. While there has been no official announcement of Leto’s return, these two films seem the most likely, as both have direct links to the comic book character.

Despite some unhappiness with scenes being cut and how his take on the Joker was received, it seems that Leto is back on board and ready to return to the DCEU, as the actor posted some images to his Snapchat that hint at his next appearance.

Leto posted two new Joker-related snaps earlier today [h/t Batman News]. The first is a cropped close-up of the cover of Batman: The Killing Joke, a controversial 1988 comic starring the Joker. The second is a photo of what appears to be a human tooth turned into a pendant for a necklace. The tooth is capped with gold metal, and is sitting in a purple velvet box with Gucci printed on the inside.

Jared Leto just shared these photos on Snapchat. What does it all mean?! pic.twitter.com/BkZUmpFqZQ— Batman-News.com (@BatmanNewsCom) January 18, 2017

Batman: The Killing Joke, often considered to be the definitive Joker origin story, takes place in two timelines. One tells the early days of the Joker in flashback. A failed comedian with a pregnant wife, he is driven to insanity and a life of crime. The second timeline takes place in the present day, as the Joker attempts to drive Commissioner Gordon insane, and famously shoots and paralyzes Barbara Gordon in the process. Posting a close-up of this cover suggests that Leto’s next appearance as the Joker may include elements of the storyline or themes from this comic, or perhaps that it will deal with the Joker’s origins in the DCEU.

The second image of the tooth jewelry also points to a potential origin story for the Joker. In Suicide Squad, Leto’s Joker wears a metal grill, which most fans assume is the result of his teeth being knocked out by Batman. If this jewelry is made from one of his own teeth, perhaps we will see the fight in which the Joker lost his, after which he decided to turn at least one into decoration.

These snaps are good news for fans of Leto’s Joker, as they seem to suggest that he will not be relegated to some dusty corner of the DCEU following his poor initial reception. This also gives us a hint about potential storylines for The Batman, as it would make sense for this to be the vehicle for Joker’s return. A Killing Joke-inspired Batman movie would certainly be an interesting choice for the DCEU’s first Batman solo outing - it would turn the clock back for the character and provide some backstory, without going so far back as to create yet another Batman origin movie. In addition, seeing this storyline would mean getting to see Jenna Malone’s Barbara Gordon, which was cut out of Batman V Superman to the disappointment of many fans.

Of course, for the many fans who were less than impressed with Leto’s Joker, the idea of him as a key part of either The Batman or Gotham City Sirens is not encouraging. Luckily for them, this is  far from a confirmation of Leto’s immediate return. The images may well be connected to a cameo elsewhere in the DCEU, or be connected to absolutely nothing but Leto’s own perspective on the Joker. It certainly looks like this is the actor teasing his return, but until that is confirmed, we won’t be getting too worked up about the possibility.

Source: Batman News

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