The Joker is a legendary character and probably the best villain that ever existed. He is one of the most beloved characters, and his fans are very passionate about the actors who get the play him. But despite his huge popularity, the Joker has never had his own movie. That might change soon as Warner Brothers Studio and DC Comics are preparing an origin movie of the infamous villain, according to the Deadline. The movie will be directed by the director of the "Hangover" franchise, Todd Phillips. The screenplay will be written by Scott Silver, while Martin Scorsese will reportedly produce the movie.
The movie will be set in Gotham City during the 1980s and will tell the story of how The Joker became a criminal mastermind, according to Deadline. Joker's movie won't be a classic comic book movie. Instead, it will be a gritty, hard-boiled criminal drama.
Jared Leto will be replaced as the Joker
Jared Leto played the role of Joker in DC's "Suicide Squad" and will reprise his role in the upcoming sequel of the movie, but it has been reported that he will not play the Joker in Todd Philips's movie. Fans and critics weren't happy with Leto's performance in the "Suicide Squad," and they like the idea of replacing him for the Joker's independent movie. It has been reported that Jared Leto is angry because of this decision.
With this solo movie by the Joker, DC plans to start another expanded universe with its own movie franchise.
Could Jake Gyllenhaal be the answer?
As soon as it became clear that Jared Leto will be replaced, rumors started to spread about who could be the next actor to play the Joker. In the past, the role was played by stars like Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger.
Heath Ledger left an incredible mark as the Joker, as he even won an Academy Award for Supporting Actor for his role as the Batman's notorious foe. The next actor to play the Joker could be Ledgers' friend and his ''Brokeback Mountain'' co-star Jake Gyllenhaal. Right now there aren't reports that Gyllenhaal is being considered for the role, but fans want to see him play the Joker and he might just take a role in this movie.
He is one of the best actors in Hollywood and has already proven that he can play dark, deranged characters like he did in the ''Nightcrawler'' and "Donnie Darko." If this origin story is similar to Alan Moore's in the ''The Killing Joke,'' it could be a perfect role for Gyllenhaal, as he could be great at playing a desperate husband who has no other choice than to turn to crime. A role and a transformation like this could finally earn Gyllenhaal a much-deserved Oscar.
