Jared Leto’s performance as the Joker in David Ayers Suicide Squad immediately received criticism from fans, especially due to the marked difference in how Leto looked from the traditional Joker look, as well as the now iconic “Damaged” tattoo that Leto’s Joker had on his forehead.
Director David Ayer recently took to social media and spoke briefly about his rendition of the Joker. After sharing a photo of Leto in costume, one fan commented that Leto’s Joker was a major letdown, to which Ayer said “that’s what happens when you hack a performance and character arc to pieces. I’m sorry that that was all you were allowed to see. Now your mind is closed to the truth.”
In a follow-up tweet in response to a fan who asked about the infamous forehead tattoo, Ayer said it was meant as a sign of the Joker “trolling” Batman, after Batman in the film’s universe knocked out the Joker’s teeth by punching him. . However, Ayer said it was “the one aesthetic choice” he wished he hadn’t made and “caught a lot of smoke” for.
Besides the face tattoo, Joker’s look – which also included a grill because his teeth had been knocked out by Batman – was widely panned the moment it was shown. The subsequent appearance in Suicide Squad didn’t help matters, and after the film’s premiere, Ayer’s vision of the Joker wouldn’t reappear until a small cameo in Zack Snyder’s Justice Leaguewhere he appeared without a tattoo and longer hair.