Entertainment

There's a nod to the Joker in the new 'Justice League' trailer and fans aren't sure what to make of it

darkseid justice league
Zack Snyder's "Justice League" trailer opens on a ravaged Earth overrun by Darkseid's parademons. Warner Bros.
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The Joker makes a tiny appearance in the official trailer for Zack Snyder's "Justice League" that you may not have noticed during a first watch.

Return to the beginning of the trailer and you can spot the Joker's calling card blowing across the wind. 

joker justice league
A Joker card can briefly be seen in the apocalyptic nightmare sequence of the future.  Warner Bros.

Fans aren't sure what to make of the minor nod to the Clown Prince of Crime.

What does this mean? Is the Joker going to appear in "Justice League"?

Probably not. 

This is likely one of a few fun Easter eggs that Snyder threw in for fans. After all, the SnyderCut of "Justice League" wouldn't be happening without the fans.

The scene in which we see the Joker card fly by is from a nightmare scenario of the future that was first teased in "Batman v Superman." 

In "BvS," we learned this version of the Joker, played by Jared Leto, killed Batman's second Robin, Jason Todd. In an apocalyptic vision of the future, Batman was seen wearing a costume where he had the Joker's playing card taped to a gun. It's not easily seen in the film, but there are photos showing Affleck's Batman holding the weapon.

If anything, the playing card showed that someone more chaotic and destructive than the Joker — Darkseid — succeeded in destroying the world and Batman's greatest enemy. We'll finally see him unleash his wrath on Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the "Justice League" next year.

Zack Snyder's "Justice League" will debut on HBO Max in four one-hour parts in 2021.

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Kirsten Acuna was a correspondent on Business Insider's Entertainment team covering TV, movies, and theme parks. She is Businness Insider's resident expert on all things "The Walking Dead." YKirsten covers superheroes and all things Disney (Marvel, Pixar, and live-action remakes). She is a verified film critic on Rotten TomatoesKirsten has previously written for TV Guide and Time Out New York Kids. She joined Business Insider's entertainment team in 2012 as a reporter, helping to build the team from two people. She holds a degree in magazine journalism and minors in both English and child family studies from Syracuse University.Follow her on Twitter @KirstenAcuna.