Suicide Squad Dev Explains Why Joker Has A New Look

Summary

The new version of the Joker in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is deliberately different from the one in past Arkhamverse games to make him stand out.
This version of the Joker is more theatrical, with a colorful costume and unique gameplay mechanics using a rocket umbrella.
The developers are aware of the challenge in winning over fans of Mark Hamill's portrayal and aim to make this new version of Batman's iconic foe stand out in his own way.

Warning! Batman: Arkham series spoilers ahead. The Joker is back in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and the developers at Rocksteady have just shared some insight into why this new version of the Clown Prince of Crime looks so different from the one from past Arkhamverse games. Although the Joker fatally succumbed to Titan poisoning at the end of 2011’s Batman: Arkham City, there were rumors that Rocksteady was planning to bring the cackling fiend back in some way in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s post-launch DLC.

These rumors were eventually confirmed during a Rocksteady dev diary video earlier this month, which revealed that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s story DLC will explore DC’s multiverse and feature versions of classic villains from alternate universes. The first of these extra-dimensional travelers will be none other than the Joker, who will be unlocked through regular gameplay for free when the inaugural Suicide Squad DLC season launches in March. The Joker will have his own story content as well, set in the aftermath of Brainiac’s attack on Metropolis and the resulting fight against the brainwashed members of the Justice League.

Suicide Squad’s new version of the Joker is already strikingly different from the one players fought in the Batman: Arkham series, and Rocksteady advanced scriptwriter Kate Watson recently opened up about why her team took this approach. During a Q&A session on the official Suicide Squad Discord server (via Comicbook.com), Watson explained that the past Arkhamverse Joker is already so iconic that Rocksteady deliberately set out to make this new version stand out on his own.

Batman: Arkham Joker and Suicide Squad Joker Comparison

Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League Arkham Joker And New Joker

Kate Watson elaborated on this by saying that Suicide Squad’s version of the Joker is even more theatrical than the one from the past games, and this is present in his more colorful costume and rocket umbrella-fueled transversal gameplay. She also credited voice actor JP Karliak for bringing the Harlequin of Hate to life, saying that his improvised dialogue was often better than what the writers had come up with. Lastly, Watson revealed that Suicide Squad’s Joker has a prosthetic leg from a bombing mishap.

Sure enough, Suicide Squad's Elseworlds take on the Joker is confirmed to be in the early years of his criminal career, and was even a member of Task Force X in his home universe. As a result, he is shown to be less hostile than the one from the Batman: Arkham games, and the Rocksteady development staff says that he is masking his own insecurities through his supervillain antics. This doesn’t make him any less unhinged though, as shown in a scene where he fires his gun wildly while laughing during his reveal trailer.

The return of the Clown Prince of Crime in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was controversial even before it was made official, and this new Joker will face an uphill battle in winning over fans of Mark Hamill’s beloved portrayal in the Batman: Arkham series. The developers at Rocksteady seem well aware of this and are aiming to make its new Elseworlds version of Batman's most iconic foe stand out in his own way.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League

Display card tags widget Display card system widget

Display card community and brand rating widget

Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget

Released: February 2, 2024

Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Play as the Suicide Squad to take down the World’s Greatest DC Super Heroes, The Justice League. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, is a genre-defying, action-adventure third-person shooter from Rocksteady Studios, creators of the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham series.

Featuring an original narrative set within an expansive open-world city of Metropolis, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League puts the four DC Super-Villains on a collision course with an invading alien force and DC Super Heroes who are now laser-focused on destroying the city they once vowed to protect. All the while, the Suicide Squad must be mindful of the lethal explosives implanted in their heads that could go off at the first sign of defiance.

Each squad member has their own unique moveset with enhanced traversal abilities to freely explore the dynamic open-world of Metropolis, along with a variety of weapons to customize, and skills to master.