DC Movie: Where was The Joker in The Suicide Squad?

Where was The Joker in The Suicide Squad? What happened to him? A largely new cast of villains joined the DC Extended Universe villain series in 2021. But they weren’t alone.

Given how little we’ve seen of him, it’s unclear where Joker was throughout The Suicide Squad’s actions. In the conclusion of Suicide Squad, he broke Harley out of Belle Reve so they could go back to stealing. Harley’s independence included concealing or erasing tattoos that linked her to Joker, as shown in Birds of Prey. He still exists in the DCEU, and other criminals fear him. It’s safe to say Joker still considers Gotham home. If so, he should be here throughout The Suicide Squad.

It is quite understandable that Joker doesn’t appear in The Suicide Squad because of his absence. Task Force X is a series of comic book heroes, all of which have previously beaten Batman. So, it wouldn’t make sense to put the Joker on a Task Force X squad, since doing so would suggest that someone like Batman has already defeated him. Especially in Justice League, the Joker in the DCEU has shown to be quite the survivor; most notably under the direction of Zack Snyder. The Suicide Squad is Joker’s favorite group of friends, but it doesn’t mean he would return just because Harley was in it.

Joker’s DCEU future is in jeopardy after his inability to get a role in The Suicide Squad. There is no confirmation yet that Jared Leto’s appearance as DC’s iconic villain will be a success. No progress was made in the last several years on two potential options: having Leto’s Joker in a solo film or teaming him up with Robbie’s Harley Quinn.