13 comic book movie and TV show characters with wasted potential

Joker in Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad was a disappointment. There, it was said. But there were some gems throughout. Will Smith’s Deadshot, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller were among the best parts of the DCEU. Knowing that now, it seems like this movie was doomed before it debuted. But that blame can be placed right on The Joker.

Before we get started, this won’t be a section that bashes Jared Leto. He wasn’t that good in the role, but it wasn’t entirely his fault. His design was funny for all the wrong reasons: The grill on his teeth, the tattoos, and the ugly costumes rubbed people the wrong way during the trailers. When the movie started, we realized that Jared Leto wasn’t even needed… in this film. Joker was added to the property because of the weight that his name as a comic book character carries. Yes, Joker brings viewers but that plan backfired.

Taking Joker out Suicide Squad would have shed much time off the movie. He could have been mentioned and even been in parts without showing his face. This could have added to the mystique of the character. It also would have avoided people being upset with everything he did.

Seriously, not having Joker kill Common or showing him break Harley out of prison wouldn’t have made the movie worse – especially if all we saw was the back of his head. Heck, Mark Hamill could have voiced him and that would have made fans happy.

Wasting The Joker in Suicide Squad set both the character and Jared Leto up for failure. Had he appeared in a different film, things could have been so different.