Even Teen Titans Go! can’t help but poke fun at Jared Leto‘s divisive portrayal of the Joker. Leto debuted as the Joker in 2016’s Suicide Squad. Zack Snyder brought Leto’s Joker back for a Knightmare timeline conversation with Ben Affleck’s Batman in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. While the cinematic future of Leto’s Joker remains uncertain and fans remain divided on the character’s design, Teen Titans Go! weighed Leto’s version against other depictions of the villain. In the episode “Pig in a Poke,” the Joker tricks Starfire out of all of her money via an internet scam, forcing the Teen Titans to take action. To get past the Joker’s guards, the Titans decide to “phish” the password for the hideout out of the guards by taking turns impersonating different versions of the Joker.
Cyborg starts by impersonating Jack Nicholson’s Joker from 1989’s Batman movie. Beast Boy mimics Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight and Mark Hamill’s from Batman: The Animated Series and other DC cartoons. Robin decides to try Leto’s Joker out, but the guard doesn’t buy it, and the other Teen Titans criticize the portrayal.
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“You can’t just put on some tattoos and some fake teeth and make me think that you’re some kind of crazy person,” Cyborg says, scolding Robin. “The no one is buying it,” Starfire concludes. You can watch the full clip above.
Given DC’s current film slate, it’s unclear if Leto will reprise his role as the Joker again. Joaquin Phoenix played a version of the character in Joker, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance. He will return for the sequel. Matthew Reeves’ upcoming The Batman will use the Riddler as its villain, bearing similarly controversial design choices. Regardless, Leto says he looks forward to seeing new actors put their spins on Joker in future projects.
“I think in the next 10 or 20 years we’re gonna keep seeing these amazing interpretations and so many different people get to steep in those shows,” Leto told Deadline. “These Marvel, DC, yeah, they’re popcorn movies but sometimes they’re a little bit more. Sometimes they start to reflect who and what we’re all about in our times. Sometimes they’re Shakespearean. It’s quite amazing that these characters were written 50, 60, 70 years ago and we’re still obsessed with them.”
In the more immediate future, Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls will crossover in a special episode debuting Monday, May 31st on Cartoon Network. Tara Strong, who voices characters in both shows, spoke to ComicBook.com about the animated event.
“The crossover is the biggest party in animation history,” Strong said. “Ok, maybe not the biggest, but there are big adventures, lots of craziness, plenty of funny mishaps, and also there’s muffins.”
What do you think of Teen Titans Go! making fun of Jared Leto’s Joker? Let us know in the comments. The Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls crossover airs on May 31st at 6 p.m. ET on Cartoon Network.
