Suicide Squad Star Joel Kinnaman Pushes For the Ayer Cut With More of Jared Leto’s Joker

Joel Kinnaman is the latest Suicide Squad star to call for the Ayer Cut, director David Ayer's unreleased version with a "really interesting" take on Jared Leto's Joker. Kinnaman's co-stars Margot Robbie and Karen Fukuhara have expressed support for the director's cut of Suicide Squad, which restores much of Leto's performance excised from the version of the film released to theaters in 2016. After Zack Snyder's Justice League, where Leto reprises his Batman villain role for the first time since 2016, Kinnaman is hopeful studio Warner Bros. takes a second shot at Ayer's unseen Suicide Squad:

"You always wanna see the filmmaker's cut, you know? It's always a shame when the filmmaker's vision doesn't make it to the cinema," Kinnaman told The Playlist Podcast ahead of his new movie Brothers by Blood. "Of course, there's always going to be compromise. I find it's the bigger the budget, the bigger the compromise. Usually, that's the case."

He added, "I'm sure [Ayer's cut] would be much more interesting. David's take on the Joker was really interesting and that didn't really come out in the movie that we saw."

In December, Ayer said Leto's Joker is "vastly better" in his almost-completed Suicide Squad Ayer Cut. The End of Watch and Bright filmmaker previously said the story arc for Robbie's Harley Quinn, the Joker's love-struck criminal companion, was "eviscerated" in the version released to theaters.

"I would love for him to be able to work on that and make the film of his dreams," Leto told the Variety Awards Circuit podcast last month about the Ayer Cut, which would restore his pared-down role as the arch-enemy of Batman (Ben Affleck). "It's always hard when you make these movies because it's such a pressure cooker. There are so many decisions that have to be made in a short amount of time. My hat's off to the directors, the producers, and the studios. It's not easy."

Leto added, "You never start with something that's perfect. It's a race to try to make it as good as you can in a short amount of time. And having another swing at things? I'm sure we all can use that."

Kinnaman reprises his role as Rick Flag opposite returning Suicide Squad stars Robbie, Jai Courtney, and Viola Davis in the James Gunn-directed The Suicide Squad. Kinnaman says Gunn's film, which adds Idris Elba and John Cena to the DC Extended Universe, is more reboot than sequel.

The Suicide Squad releases in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6.