Jared Leto’s gritty ’n grilled take on the Clown Prince of Crime was easily the most controversial part of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. Early photos of Leto’s tatted-up Joker drew heavy criticism from fans and launched a million jokes on social media, where he was compared to everything from a Juggalo to a Hot Topic mascot — and that was before we found out about his wacky on-set “method acting” antics, which permanently cemented his status as a Ridiculous Human Being. But if you thought that version of the Joker was obnoxious, boy do we have some concept art for you.

Artist Tina Chirad is partially responsible for the Joker’s “provocative” aesthetic in Suicide Squad, in which she’s credited as the film’s “costume graphic illustrator.” Chirad recently shared some unused concept art on her imgur account (via Gizmodo), revealing some costume and accessory choices that were apparently too much — even for Leto and Ayer:

If you thought that “damaged” forehead tattoo was bad, just know that it could’ve been wayyyyy worse. Come to think of it, these designs almost make Leto’s Joker look reasonable and subtle (or something like that) in comparison.

But hey, thanks to this concept art, Suicide Squad has been elevated from “baffling garbage fire” to “well, it could have been worse.”

 

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