I know the cool thing nowadays is to hate on Jared Leto for his Joker performance, but my opinion differs from most. I realize that I’m in the minority, but if you ask me, his take on The Joker had potential. In fact, it had a lot of potential. Yes, there were problems with that Joker’s development in Suicide Squad, but the fault is not on Leto. The plethora of problems with Suicide Squad were so high, you could probably write a book from them. Some of the biggest problems among them were the lack of Joker. David Ayer, the unfortunate director of the film, even admitted that he wished he made Leto’s Joker the main villain if he had the chance to do the film over again. If only time machines were real, because it’s indeed something that should’ve happened.
Despite that missed opportunity, there is a chance for Jared Leto to return to the role, but this time, it can be done right. There was a chance for him to challenge Ben Affleck’s Batman in his film, but with Affleck departure from the role, the chances for that are one in a million. So if his Joker won’t fight Batman, who is he supposed to fight? How can you possibly have Joker on-screen and not have him fight his archenemy? The answer lies in the most recent superhero movie, the super fun Birds of Prey movie. It’s probably more accurate to call it the Harley Quinn movie, but don’t forget it was a team effort. My girl Harley rallied the Birds of Prey together to fight as one and they made one mean team of femme fatales.
The movie was fun, it was crazy, but we can’t ignore the core of Harley’s story. Her story was one of emancipation (hence the title), because she was recovering from her toxic relationship with The Joker. Look at the comics, the cartoons, or video games, and you’ll see how toxic their “love” is. The Joker is relentlessly abusive towards Harley, and yet, she still stuck with him. That’s sadly very relatable, which is exactly the element that separated her movie from other superhero movies. Harley was seen not as a violent criminal, and not even as a reluctant antihero, but as a victim of an abusive relationship trying to move on with her life. The Birds of Prey movie began with showing us exactly that and it made us pity Harley. At that point, she became a more relatable character than most comic book characters ever could’ve been.
Let’s dive deeper into the suffering she endured at the hands of The Joker. When The Joker goes after Batman, we love him for it. Sure, he’s a deranged, mass-murdering clown who has done beyond terrible things to the Batman family, but whenever he hurts Harley, it’s a different story. I know it sounds weird, but his abuse towards Harley just adds on the despicable, because it makes him more real. There are unfortunately many people like this in the real world, and this is the primary influence behind Joker and Harley’s on and off relationship. Harley will on occasion leave The Joker, but she usually returns to him. Like I said, it’s unfortunate, but it reflects how toxic relationships are in real life.
It’s a sensitive subject to show on screen, but they explored it briefly in Suicide Squad. Joker was clearly shown to be a manipulative, controlling boyfriend with a rather unhealthy obsession with Harley. The end of the film showed them reuniting, but that didn’t last. The beginning of Birds of Prey flipped that ending on its head; Joker threw Harley out on the street and she was free. However, she had difficulty recovering from the break up, as she literally didn’t know what to do with herself. Moving on from a bad relationship is a hard thing to do, and it’s how Harley pursues her emancipation. It took her some time, but she eventually found it but protecting a young girl from a brutal crime lord. It was a good story, but it doesn’t end there.
Margot Robbie has been adamant about continuing Harley’s story and it’s one I’m anxious to see. Harley Quinn has become a staple character in the DCEU and she needs to be shown more. Whether it’s a Gotham City Sirens movie or just a Birds of Prey sequel, Harley has a lot to offer, and guess who can be included? That’s right, the tattooed Joker played by Jared Leto. If his Joker won’t fight Batman, the most logical enemy for him to face is Harley Quinn. The two clowns are no longer a couple, but The Joker has always had issues with letting Harley stay single. No matter how far Harley got away from Joker, their paths always crossed. When they did, he would often manipulate her into getting back together with him.
It’s a never-ending cycle for them, but the DCEU version of the toxic couple can take a different route. By the end of Birds of Prey, Harley seemed to have forgotten all about The Joker and moved on. She was no longer a villain, and now she has gone legit. Without Joker’s negative influence, she can be a true force for good, but when he’s around, that can flip on its head very fast. Another movie about Harley Quinn can really put her to the test. It was one thing to move on after the break up, but what happens when she runs into The Joker again? I’d very much like to know the answer to that question, and it’s something a sequel can show.
Jared Leto didn’t get the chance to fully show his acting chops as The Joker in Suicide squad, but I believe he deserves a second chance. If the Birds of Prey movie was intended to start a Harley Quinn trilogy, then The Joker would be the ultimate villain for her to face in the end. What would be more satisfying than to see an abusive ex-boyfriend get his recompense at the hands of a vengeful ex-girlfriend? It’ll be a long road for Harley, but facing The Joker would be the perfect final destination. Call it payback, call it justice, watching Harley finally turning the tables on The Joker is something we need to see. Just think about the animated Harley Quinn show and you’ll get the idea.
Are you guys ready to see Jared Leto return as The Joker? I for one am and I think he’ll be the best villain Harley can fight.
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