Did ‘Justice League’ Post Credits Scene Tease the Joker?

WARNING: Major Spoilers ahead for Justice League! Continue reading at your own risk…

Okay seriously, this is a massive spoiler for the Justice League post credits scene. We’re going to give you one last chance to get out. 3, 2, 1…

Alright, if you’re still with us at this point, you’ve probably already seen Justice League, and that means you know about the super-secret post credits scene that includes the introduction of Deathstroke and the reappearance of Lex Luthor, who has been broken out of Arkham Asylum. That break-out is what we want to focus on here, because it seemed to be teasing the resurgence of another popular DC villain, the Joker.

When the final scene of the film began, a guard in Arkham was approaching Lex Luthor, who was turned around in his cell. No matter how many times the guard asked Luthor a question, the villain didn’t turn around. Finally, the guard walked up and turned Luthor around, only to discover that it wasn’t Luthor at all. A random man with a shaved head had replaced the villain in the cell, and he was cackling uncontrollably when his face was revealed.

For those who read DC Comics, it seems as though the man is possibly under the influence of Joker’s laughing gas, one of his staple weapons. The strained smile and over-the-top laughter were almost dead giveaways.

When you think about the rest of the post credits scene, it all adds up.

Lex Luthor tells Deathstroke that they should be forming some kind of league of their own, implying that they will need numbers to take out the Justice League. It’s entirely possible that he’s been in touch with more people than just Deathstroke to make that happen. With the kind of resources Joker has at his disposal, he’d present himself as a powerful ally for Luthor moving forward.

There’s also the ending of Suicide Squad to consider. Joker busted into Belle Reve to free Harley, so he has the resources to make grand escapes. Could he have pulled off another big move by freeing Luthor from Arkham?

While all of this is entirely possible, it’s also very likely that the man in Luthor’s cell was just a a lunatic. After all, he was housed in Arkham Asylum.

Justice League is now screening in theaters nationwide.