The Internet is currently buzzing over the appearance of Jared Leto’s Joker in the new trailer for the Justice League Snyder Cut.
In intriguing timing, the Oscar-winning actor is chiming in by clearing the air on rumors of his behavior during the filming of 2016’s Suicide Squad.
The Joker’s antics
Infamous for his in-depth method acting, Leto took a unique approach to the Joker in Suicide Squad. It began by remaking the character with tattoos and gold braces on his teeth.
Soon, reports spread of Leto throwing his castmates off with unique “gifts” such as giving Margo Robbie (Harley Quinn) a dead rat.
During a recent interview with GQ Magazine to promote his new thriller The Little Things and discussing his past roles, Leto set the record straight on the rumors he was making the Joker look sane on set.
“It’s also interesting how this stuff all takes on a life of its own. I never gave Margot Robbie a dead rat. That’s just not true. I actually gave her a lot of — I found this place in Toronto that had great vegan cinnamon buns and that was a very common thing.”
Interestingly, Leto only refutes the rat story, not the other tales of his odd behavior on set, indicating there may be truth to some of his antics after all.
‘We live in a society’
Leto is getting more attention with his appearance as the Joker in Justice League the Snyder Cut. The sight of Leto’s stripped-down Joker in the film is striking, especially what he says.
The end of the trailer takes place in the “Knightmare” sequence of Batman (Ben Affleck) wandering a ruined Earth conquered by Darkseid. He finds the Joker who intones “we live in a society where honor is a distant memory.”
“We live in a society” is a meme stretching back to an old episode of Seinfeld. It has since been used with images of the Joker, to play on the chaotic criminal musing on how society should have order.
At one point, a Change.org petition had over 50,000 fans demanding that Joaquin Phoenix use the line in 2019’s Joker film. While Todd Phillips refused, Snyder appears to have listened.
Now, even Leto has tweeted out the line to show it being used in the Snyder Cut. This has generated a huge reaction from fans on Twitter, from happiness the meme is used to complaints it misses the ironic point.
Leto’s appearance in Justice League came after a single phone call with Snyder and is among the numerous additions to the film. Between that line and the Joker’s appearance, Leto is reminding fans why his casting as the Clown Prince of Crime was such a big deal in the first place.
Justice League the Snyder Cut premieres on HBO Max on March 19. The Little Things is now in theaters and HBO Max.