James Gunn has explained why he isn’t interested in the Joker and won’t be including the character in his movies anytime soon. After he got fired by Disney foroffensive tweets, Warner Bros. recruited Gunn and gave him a free hand to make any DC movie he wanted to. Surprisingly, Gunn decided to take a crack at aSuicide Squadmovie even after the widely panned 2016 adaptation. With a huge budget and an R-rating, Gunn tried his luck at bringing Task Force X to the big screen again.
It was soon enough confirmed that the film titledThe Suicide Squadis both a sequel and a soft reboot of David Ayer’sSuicide Squad.Several characters from the 2016 film returned inThe Suicide Squad,but the two most famous ones were missing. Will Smith couldn’t play Deadshot due to scheduling conflicts, and the Joker was left out of the film. By that time, reports of the studio’s micromanaging had come out, and fans wanted Joker to be included in the main DC continuity. However,James Gunnnever had the intention of using Joker forThe Suicide Squad. As he told The New York Times, “I just don’t know why Joker would be in the Suicide Squad. He wouldn’t be helpful in that type of war situation.”
Gunn likes to work with oddballs and unfamiliar characters, as he has skillfully exhibited in theGuardians of the Galaxymovies. During a recent interview withDesde Hollywood, Gunn was asked if he’d make a Joker film or something similar to Todd Phillips' grounded and gritty version. He replied,
“There’s all sorts of other characters I’m interested in doing. Joker isn’t really one of them. He’s been done well so many times by so many people. I am much more interested in taking characters who haven’t fully had their shot, or people who I feel [connected to]. For whatever reason, I feel connected to Harley Quinn. I feel she’s one of the easiest characters I’ve ever written. So I’m interested in her, and I’m interested in some other DC characters, and we’ll just see what happens next.”
Even if James Gunn wanted to include the Joker, he’d probably have cast another actor, which would have raised even more questions aboutThe Suicide Squad’splace in the DC timeline. Jared Leto openly criticized DC executives after his role in 2016’sSuicide Squadwas reduced, diminishing his chances to play Joker again. However, he did return fora brief cameo inZack Snyder’s Justice League. Joaquin Phoenix played the clown prince of crime in Todd Phillips’s Oscar-winning filmJoker. It was set in a different universe and was a one-and-done type of movie at the time. With so much behind-the-scenes drama, it’s better Gunn left Joker out in favor of Bloodsport, King Shark, Polka Dot Man, and Ratcatcher.
Gunn is currently busy doing press for his upcoming HBO Max show,Peacemaker. The show will shed light on Christopher Smith, an extremist pacifist willing to kill any man, woman, or child for peace. John Cena reprises his role fromThe Suicide Squad,with Steve Agee and Jennifer Holland returning as John Economos and Emilia Harcourt.Peacemakeralso stars Freddie Stroma, Danielle Brooks, Chukwudi Iwuji, and Robert Patrick.Peacemakerdebuts onHBO Maxon June 08, 2025.
