Jared Leto's take on Joker was... divisive to say the least. Some fans absolutely swear by it, saying that with less studio interference, he really could have shone in the role. The rest of us laugh at that scene where he says "honka honka", because it's really funny.
One of the biggest points of contention was his new Hot Topic-esque aesthetic in Suicide Squad - but as director David Ayer has now revealed, it could have been very different. An apparent earlier iteration of the Clown Prince of Crime had him sporting tattooed eyebrows, dyed black teeth, and sharpie scrawled over his face.
It's a bold look, to say the least. Not only does he have the crudely drawn, felt tip smile standing loud and proud over his face, but the eyebrows are also actually made up of little "ha has" - in case he forgets his whole brand, I guess. Of course, this isn't much more on the nose than the final design, which saw him get a tattoo reading "damaged" across his forehead.
Judging by the replies, it's probably for the best that this design was left on the cutting room floor. Even though Leto Joker has his defenders, none have turned up here. Instead, many are making fun of the look, especially the unfortunate eyebrows.
David Ayer shared this behind the scenes look at what could have been on his Instagram, having been previously vocal about the issues during the film's production. According to the director, Suicide Squad was initially meant to be "a really heartfelt drama" but says it was "ripped to pieces in an attempt to be turned into Deadpool". Following the success of Zack Snyder's Justice League, fans have been calling on Warner Bros. to #ReleaseTheAyerCut, so we can get a more grounded take on Task Force X. However, given the release of James Gunn's The Suicide Squad earlier this year, it appears the studio has moved firmly in the other direction.