Filmmaker David Ayer has revealed the role that Joker would have played in the original ending of his 2016 film Suicide Squad before the studio forced Ayer to change the script. The topic cropped up on Twitter when a fan unearthed a page from a script bearing the original ending to the movie, which Ayer confirmed was actually filmed with the following message.

"Yes I did. Shot and edited. Of course you were not permitted to see it my friend."

The scene in question takes place near the end of Suicide Squad. The main villain Enchantress has taken control of Amanda Waller just as the members of the squad arrive on the scene. That is when Joker emerges carrying the triggers to the bombs encased in each member's neck, and orders Harley to betray the squad and join him at the side of Enchantress.

In the theatrical cut of the movie, the scene played out differently, with the Joker being absent, and Enchantress herself offering Harley the chance to betray her friends and join her. Harley ends up deciding to side with the squad and the team takes down the sorceress together. The Joker is only revealed at the very end of the movie breaking Harley out of Belle Reve yet again.

This is the first time Ayer has shared the details of a cut scene from the movie that had actual dialogues, and it bears out with his previous statement that Joker had a much bigger role in his movie than what fans got to see in the version of Suicide Squad that was made available to the public.

This latest tidbit is going to make Ayer fans intensify their demand for the release of the 'Ayer cut' of Suicide Squad even further. It is a demand that would have seemed in vain a few months ago. But the announcement of the release of the 'Snyder cut' of Justice League next year on HBO Max has emboldened fans of other filmmakers to also demand the director's cut of other movies that are deemed to have suffered from too much studio interference in the past.

In the case of Suicide Squad, Warner Bros. is unlikely to want the 'Ayer cut' to compete for attention with the reboot of the franchise already set for release next year. Titled The Suicide Squad, the reboot will see a few of the characters from Ayer's film making a return, but will also feature plenty of new faces and a storyline that has little connection with the 2016 release.

Written and directed by James Gunn, The Suicide Squad stars Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, David Dastmalchian, John Cena, Joaquin Cosio, Nathan Fillion, Mayling Ng, Flula Borg, Sean Gunn, Juan Diego Botto, Storm Reid, Pete Davidson, Taika Waititi, Alice Braga, Steve Agee, Tinashe Kajese, Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi, Julio Ruiz, Jennifer Holland, Idris Elba and Michael Rooker. The film is currently scheduled for release on Aug. 6, 2021.