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Suicide Squad has been in theaters for three days now and fans are riled about what was supposedly removed. Jared Leto has spoken at length about his excised Joker performances. Despite David Ayer’s claims the theatrical cut is his, following reports of studio interference, many are inclined to distrust his words. Not due to his untrustworthiness, but because there’s hope an extended cut, a la BvS, will see a release. People are digging for the truth, and a rumored list of cut scenes has emerged reportedly giving us just that. If they are real, it explains Leto’s statement that some of his work on the Joker was Rated-R.
The following rumored list comes courtesy of a Reddit post via Collider:
- In early cuts, the movie’s opening detailed June Moone’s posession by Enchantress in real time. Reshoots reshuffled the scene to be later in the movie in flashback form in favor of a new opening centered on Deadshot.
- Deadshot in the prison cell, watching the rain fall and thinking about his daughter.
- El Diablo observing the flame of a lit match, before putting it out due to his vow to no longer use his powers.
- El Diablo being escorted to a training center by being placed in a tube that fills with water to quel his flames, and then unceremoniously dropped onto the ground.
- Early interviews mentioned Captain Boomerang’s racism and sexism, but the movie is light on examples of such behavior, which have apparently been deleted. Most of them were reportedly directed at Katana, to whom Boomerang is attracted to.
- Early reports indicated more backstory for Killer Croc, revealing that he lived his entire life as a social outcast due to his physical deformities and has convinced himself that he is beautiful in his own way. Croc crossed paths with Batman while working as muscle-for-hire for numerous Gotham’s crime bosses, while secretly planning to take over one day. There were also scenes displaying his affinity for making sculptures out of discarded materials. Aside from jokes about Croc viewing himself as ‘beautiful,’ one of these were retained in the final cut.
- Also deleted was a scene where he (Croc) becomes sick at the helicopter escort to Midway City, throws up half-digested pieces of goat, and then eats them again, disgusting the nearby Navy Seals.
- Early cuts reportedly included a passing reference to Slipknot being a serial rapist, likely to further paint him as unsympathetic to the audience ahead of his own death.
- More scenes of Rick Flag and June Moone’s romantic relationship, including him reading the files of the Suicide Squad recruits after Waller delivers them to him.
- Another scene where Flag and Moone are out on a date.
- Extended scene of Joker interrogating Captain Griggs, including the line, “I can’t wait to show you my toys,” which was in every trailer, but was removed from the movie.
- Joker and his men escaping after shooting up a restaurant. Harley, who is already affiliated with the Joker, follows them on a motorcycle and intercepts their car. Joker bangs his head against the glass in frustration.
- Joker and Harley then get into a fight, which ends with Harley pointing a gun at Joker’s head. Joker sweet-talks Harley into lowering the gun, charming her, then backhands her across the face. Afterwards he sweet-talks her again and they kiss.
- Extended Ace Chemicals scene where Harley jumps into the chemicals. More bits of dialogue by the Joker.
- Extended Batmobile chase scene with more interaction between Joker and Harley. One of the examples, presented in all the trailers, is the Joker punching the roof of his car.
- Harley using her baseball bat as a mock gun to play shoot at invisible foes.
- Extended scene of Joker breaking into the nanobomb manufacture facility to arrange for Harley’s neck-bomb to be disabled.
- More interactions between Harley and Boomerang. Early cuts apparently included her really disliking him despite growing affectionate to all other members of the squad.
- Extended bar scene with Harley taking everyone’s orders. Deadshot calls for a shot, Katana wants whiskey, Croc and Boomerang settle for beer, Harley asks Diablo wants and he prefers water which she jokes, is “a good idea.” The scene was featured in the trailers, but in the movie it cuts directly to Deadshot’s speech about them almost pulling the mission off.
- Removed several scenes with the Joker to repaint his relationship with Harley as more loving rather than abusive.
- Joker and Harley get into an argument after he rescues her in the hijacked helicopter. In early cuts he reportedly pushes her out to kill her, then the helicopter gets shot down. This was apparently reworked into the helicopter getting shot down first and Joker pushing her out to save her.
- Joker returns during the final battle in the subway station, face half-burnt from the helicopter crash, which apparently leads to a brief altercation with the Suicide Squad. He calls for Harley to escape with him but she refuses for once in order to help her friends, and the Joker escapes after throwing a live grenade at the group to cover his own escape.
A lot of this seems accurate, based on the awkward editing visible while watching the film. Wait, there’s more, much more, as Reddit user seventhonmars has also come forward with details. Their post details many of the differences between the theatrical cut and the “novelization presumably based on the original script.”
- The story begins with June Moone investigating the caves. She’d being haunted by nightmares of a woman. She’s travelled half way around the world to search for something that potentially may not exist. She knows the name ‘Enchantress’. She is accompanied by two people, Manuel and Luis, mountain guides she has worked with for several years. She can also speak Spanish. The mountain guides refuse to go into the cave with her. It seems like June has been plagued by these dreams for a long time.
- The story then goes to Arkham Asylum where it has been a peaceful night, until masked thugs descend from helicopters into the courtyard. They kill all the guards. The thugs are looking specifically for Harleen. “Doctor Quinzel. How nice of you to join us. You’re looking… good enough to eat. Figuratively speaking, of course. I’m strictly vegan. At least today”. The Joker then implies that the electroshock therapy is revenge for her doing it to him, and ‘scorching what few dead and faded memories I had into a sizzling knot…’. In the film Harley seems to not fear the Joker but in here she’s pleading for him to let her go. But then she starts to enjoy it, asking for more pain and pleasure.
- Then we go to Deadshot who is out in town. He gives coupons to homeless men and then watches them scramble to get them. We get the scene with him preparing to shoot the guy.
- Then we get the club scene which is largely unchanged.
- A scene with Deadshot and his daughter that was in the movie, but also him arguing with his ex-wife, and then Batman.
- Then the Joker and Harley in the car. We find out why the track is called ‘You can’t make my teeth hurt’ and the line ‘Hope you’ve got insurance’. The Joker doesn’t give a shit and laughs at the fact that he drives into Gotham river leaving Harley to die. Batman says ‘Joker took something important from me. It’s my turn’.
- The Ace Chemicals scene is extended. It’s implied the Joker makes her jump off as a joke, but then changes his mind similar to the film.
- He (Joker) manages to jump out of the helicopter. The helicopter crashes into a bank building. He laughs knowing that money is burning inside. ‘God, I love the smell of burning cash in the morning’. I haven’t read up to there yet but from a search it appears that he’s not in it after that which I find confusing. I’ll keep reading. The story has the same ending, though, with the Joker breaking Harley out.
This adds more background for June Moone, and offers a bit more insight into Enchantress — something the film desperately lacked. However, what’s especially fascinating is the third point from the bottom. Batman rescues Harley, to take her to Belle Reve, and says “Joker took something important from me. It’s my turn.” That something, especially in this context, sounds remarkably like Jason Todd. If so, this means Suicide Squad had yet another tease about the murder of the second Robin.
Again, that isn’t all. The above list mentioned the ACE Chemicals scene, inarguably one of the best in the film, was an extended one. You can read the scene, supposedly in its entirety, below:
Joker points down towards the vats.
Joker: “There. I was born down there.”
Harley stares down. She desperately wants the same.
Joker: “Would you die for me?”
Harley nods.
Harley: “Yes.”
Joker: “No… that’s too easy. Would you live for me?”
Joker smiles, scaring her.
Joker: “Will you embrace me, and only me?”
Harley nods vigorously.
Joker: “Will you bind your spirit to mine… in hate? Do you consign your soul to me? Do you laugh at the world in disgust?”
Harley: “…yes.”
Joker: “Do not say this oath thoughtlessly. Desire becomes surrender. Surrender becomes power. Do you want it? Do you really want it?”
Harley: “I do. I do.”
Joker: “Then goodbye, Doctor Quinzel.”
Joker gestures towards the edge of the vat. Without hesitation she jumps.
Joker thinks “She’s gone, forever. Problem solved.” He pauses and touches his chest. He feels something. Love? Of course not. He couldn’t see her floating face down and dying. Which was the original plan. He jumps down.
Oddly enough, in the film, it appeared to be their twisted version of nuptials. This extended the scene shines even more light on this being, perhaps in Joker’s mind, a wedding of sorts. Should this be true to David Ayer’s original script, please be true, kudos to him for nailing these character’s perfectly. It’s a shame their relationship, the way it was actually portrayed — the way it’s historically represented — didn’t make it to theaters. Surely, a team at Warner Bros. is racking their brains on how best to roll out this content. An extended cut of Suicide Squad is an easy answer that may take time and effort to execute, but it will be worth it for everyone in the end.
Images: Warner Bros.
