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SYFY WIRE Jared Leto

Jared Leto turns his Snyder Cut ‘We Live in a Society’ meme into a T-shirt for a good cause

By Josh Weiss
Joker Knightmare Zack Snyder's Justice League

When Zack Snyder's Justice League dropped its penultimate trailer last month, fans absolutely lost their minds when Jared Leto's Joker uttered the words, "We live in a society." The meme-worthy moment went viral and now Leto is harnessing that internet power for good.

Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the actor revealed that he and his band, 30 Seconds to Mars, are selling "We live in a society" shirts, with all the proceeds going towards a charitable cause.

"I always loved Zack Snyder and think that the story behind this Snyder Cut is really one for the ages," Leto said. "What happened around him, not finishing the first film. I'm actually wearing this shirt [that says] 'We live in a society,' which was an ad-lib I threw out on the day shooting it. It ended up in the trailer and then went viral. We're selling these on my band's website ... the profits are going to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I know a lot of people know this story about Zack and how deep it runs, but I was just happy to be a part of his dream and getting asked to play the Joker for a second time was just a treat. It's one of those roles where it's just incredible."

Snyder parted ways with the Justice League production in 2017 following the tragic suicide of his daughter, Autumn (his four-hour edit is dedicated to her memory). Avengers filmmaker Joss Whedon was brought in to handle reshoots, but ended up heavily altering and editing sequences, as well as adding new ones. Released in November 2017, the theatrical cut was a critical and financial disappointment, prompting hardcore fans to kick off the years-long campaign for Snyder's original vision.

Watch the full interview below:

Leto branded his Knightmare version of Joker as "an evolution" of the character in 2016's Suicide Squad.

"They're some years apart and certainly [overseen by] different directors," he explained. "When you collaborate with somebody...just like every guest you have brings out a different side or a different joke or a different energy. And when you work with a different director, they bring out different things in you. I loved working with him; I love his passion. He knows more about this world than almost anybody."

Leto's return as the Joker was not part of Snyder's original Justice League plan. The villain's inclusion was a last-minute addition and shot over a period of several days in late 2020. While we won't go into specifics, we can say that the Clown Prince of Crime serves as the Ghost of Batman Future — the haunting apparition of a world that could be.

"Zack, you’re a warrior and a madman," Leto wrote on Twitter Thursday. "You know this world like nobody else and it was incredible to be a part of retelling this story in the way that you always dreamed of."

Zack Snyder's Justice League is now streaming on HBO Max. See what critics are saying about it right here. For SYFY WIRE's spoiler-heavy exploration of all the new footage and tweaks, click here.