Zack Snyder reveals why he chose to include Jared Leto’s Joker in Justice League cut

Fans have been divided over Leto’s appearance in the forthcoming film

Zack Snyder has revealed why he chose to include Jared Leto’s Joker in his recut of Justice League.

Snyder is currently re-editing the 2017 film for a re-release on HBO Max, after fans spent years petitioning Warner Bros to “release the Snyder cut”.

The director left Justice League midway through production following the death of his daughter, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Joss Whedon taking over directorial duties for the remainder of the film.

Leto’s Joker did not feature in the theatrical cut of Justice League, and the actor’s unexpected inclusion in the forthcoming Snyder Cut has been met with mixed reviews, especially given that Leto’s take on the villain 2016’s Suicide Squad was not hugely well-liked. 

Following the recent release of a first look at Leto’s Joker in the project, Snyder has revealed why he chose to introduce “Mr J” to his cut of the film.

RELATED: Jared Leto’s new Joker photos divide Justice League fans

He told Vanity Fair: “The cool thing about the scene is that it’s Joker talking directly to Batman about Batman. It’s Joker analysing Batman about who he is and what he is.”

“That’s the thing I also felt like fans deserved from the DC Universe. That is to say, the Jared Leto Joker and the Ben Affleck Batman, they never really got together.”

The director added: “It seemed uncool to me that we would make it all the way through this incarnation of Batman and Joker without seeing them come together.”

Zack Snyder’s Justice League will arrive on HBO Max on 18 March, with UK release plans yet to be announced.