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It has been three full years since Zack Snyder’s mammoth 4-hour version ofJustice Leaguecame out. The film was initially plagued by controversy when the director stepped back midway to allow Joss Whedon to take over the reins. This move did not work well on many levels with regard to Whedon’s association with the narrative and the cast, which then prompted Snyder to complete the film in his original vision.
To commemorate the 3rd anniversary of his labor of love, theWatchmendirector uploaded a dark and edgy image of Jared Leto who played Joker in the film. But judging from the reactions of fans on social media, this version of the DC villain wasn’t appreciated then, and is continuing to garner some negative responses.
Fans Troll Zack Snyder For Plugging Jared Leto’s Photo As Joker
In many ways,Zack Snyderhas pioneered a unique path for DC through his edgy, dark, and more relatable sketches of iconic superheroes like Batman and Superman and through various other characters in hisJustice League. While the filmmaker may not be associated with the franchise anymore, his influence and impact cannot be discounted.
Three years into the release ofZack Snyder’s Justice Leaguewhich was critically appreciated the world over, theMan of Steeldirector paid tribute to the film (viaDC Film News) by uploading a telling black and white picture ofJared Letoas Joker. The image shows the Oscar winner in his trademark long hair and ominously painted face holding a machine gun.
Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon’ Announcement Sends Fans Over the Moon as Director Reveals Trailer Drop for ‘Part Two: The Scargiver’
While Leto expectedly gave an impressive performance in the film, this version of Joker that Snyder created, received mixed responses and is continuing to garner criticism based on the online reactions to the image. Many netizens believed that this physical depiction ofLeto’s Jokerwas a bit excessive and attention-seeking. Others simply panned the look brutally by calling it one of the worst Joker depictions.
I hate this Joker so much
— Thomas The Spartan (@thomas_spartan1)Aug 06, 2025
No matter how hard we try, we can’t escape that monstrosity 💀
— Joey (@demonjoe_)August 03, 2025
dude needs to quit adding fuel to this nonsense
— BD.T.BD (@Xx__BR4ND0N)June 02, 2025
This hurts humanity deeply
— P (@pablo_archimeds)July 16, 2025
Looks more like some horror movie ghost instead of joker
— Bruce Wayne (@Brucewaynejatt)July 27, 2025
The worst live action joker in the history of jokers.
— Julian Hernandez (@julianoff1c1al_)June 04, 2025
While Snyder did have a few supporters who appreciated his abilities to take risks and his courage to push the envelope, they were outnumbered by the majority who wanted to forget this version.
The DC Story That Zack Snyder Was Desperate To Make
Zack Snyder isn’t part of DC anymore with the Snyder Cut heralding the filmmaker’s final tryst with the franchise. While his work with the DCEU will be always remembered, the300director has not fulfilled all the dreams that he had envisioned for DC.
In a recent interview with Joe Rogan via theUniversity of JRE, Snyder spoke of his filmography and his time with the franchise. In the course of the conversation, theWatchmendirector revealed his love for Frank Miller’s graphic novelThe Dark Knight Returnswhich is part of the Elseworlds Universe. Snyder who had a deep wish to cinematically adapt this book, unfortunately, did not get the opportunity.
”I was a Frank Miller fan for a long time, right? And I thought that I would do The Dark Knight Returns. Frankly, that was the movie that I wanted to, and I still want to do it. I always tell everyone that if I could do The Dark Knight Returns, I’d be done with comic book movies.”
After Daniel Day-Lewis Reportedly Rejected Batman, Zack Snyder Admitted the Man of Steel Role He Wrote for Him
The Dark Knight Returnstakes place in an alternate universe where a middle-aged Bruce Wayne comes out of retirement and resumes his vigilante work in a deteriorating Gotham city ravaged by the Cold War. This narrative has all the makings of a great film in the hands of someone like Zack Snyder.It now remains to be seen if the director makes his dream come true.
Zack Snyder’s Justice Leaguecan be rented on Apple TV.
Sharanya Sankar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1230
Sharanya Sankar, Writer for FandomwireHaving completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sharanya has a solid foundation in writing which is also one of her passions. She has worked previously with Book My show for a couple of years where she gained experience reviewing films and writing feature articles. Sharanya’s articles on film and pop culture have also been published on Film Companion, a popular film-based website. Apart from movies and pop culture, her interests include music and sports. She has contributed over 650 articles to Fandomwire so far.
