Zack Snyder explains Joker’s motives in Knightmare sequence

When Zack Snyder released his director’s cut of Justice League–the aptly titled Zack Snyder’s Justice League–it included a number of changes. While we couldn’t possibly begin to outline every change made (it’s two hours longer, after all), one notable inclusion in Zack Snyder’s cut is that of Jared Leto’s Joker in the Knightmare sequence.

Set on an Earth no longer recognizable, the Knightmare sequence features Joker confronting Batman, getting in his head and delivering the line, “You need me.” But why does Batman need Joker? It’s not a mind game, as Zack Snyder elaborated during a Q&A at his titular SnyderCon. “Our theory is that he’s the one who knows where the Kryptonite, what shards of Kryptonite exist. He has that information. And so he’s being carried…he has basically made a deal with Batman. Don’t kill me, and I’ll show you, I’ll get you a tool to fight Superman. And so [Batman’s] kind of stuck with him, in that way. If he kills him, or gets rid of him, then he’s screwed himself.”

This followed a screening of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which also prompted talk of Robin’s death, directly tying into the Joker, who did not appear in the movie despite Snyder’s original intentions and would have to wait to make his return for the aforementioned Knightmare moment. “At that point, [Batman’s] real vulnerability was Robin. What’s obvious is that The Joker understood that. And all I’ll say is that–I think I’ve talked about this a little bit. Clearly, he blew him up. Or it looks like he burned/scorched him.” But Snyder caught himself, lest he spoil something he hopes to explore later down the line. “I think beyond that, I really don’t want to say the actual circumstances because I feel like it’s a spoiler for maybe a thing that may never be spoiled. We should wait to see, don’t you think? A little bit.” This might perk up fans’ bat ears, as Snyder is teasing his interest in perhaps working with the character at some point in the future.

What did you think of Joker’s appearance in the Knightmare sequence in Zack Snyder’s Justice League? Do you hope Snyder will further explore the dynamics in a future project or should he move on? Give us your take below!