It’s been a confusing time at Warner Bros. for Jared Leto. After his portrayal of the Joker in “Suicide Squad” was met with mixed reactions, the moves made by the studio may have him questioning their decision.
The Joker has been one of the characters that put DC Comics on the map. Tim Burton’s “Batman,” in particular, introduced the Joker as a character that has a rich backstory worth exploring.
With performances like Leto’s in “Suicide Squad” and the late Heath Ledger in the Christopher Nolan “Batman” trilogy, there’s no wonder why Warner Bros.
is creating a stand-alone “Joker” movie.
Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger has been the Joker of different movies; in Leto’s case, he is currently the Joker in “Suicide Squad,” which is the reason why he’s confused on Warner Bros. looking for another character to play the arch-nemesis of the Bat.
Jared Leto coping with the situation
Jared Leto, if he ends up as Warner Bros. choice, has a lot of work ahead of him. Currently, the DC Comics Clown Prince of Crime is connected to three films. There’s the one pairing him with Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). There’s also a return to the “Suicide Squad” sequel.
Then you have the film pairing the “Batman” arch villain with Todd Phillips and Martin Scorsese.
Leonardo DiCaprio is being eyed to star in the said film.
Leto is not bothered by the idea of other actor portraying the iconic villain, however. In a comment, he said the Joker is bigger than all the actors who played him. He added that it was fun playing the Joker, but the character isn’t for him to own.
DC’s tough choice to make
Between him and DiCaprio, Jared Leto appears to be the better choice. He was already the Joker in “Suicide Squad.” Casting him would give the studio familiarity with his performance.
It’s also fortunate that his success as the villain isn’t covered by the film’s critical performance. DC Comics’ anti-hero squad wasn’t really welcomed by critics.
Despite that, it was a hit because of performances like Leto’s and Robbie’s. That was enough to get Warner Bros. to fund a “Joker” movie featuring the Clown Prince of Crime and his Harley Quinn.
The character may also be featured in the solo "Batman" movie which is currently under development.
Would the “Joker” movie drama end with Leonardo DiCaprio at the lead? There’s no clear picture. Instead, what Warner Bros. could do is focus on what they have at the moment; Jared Leto donning the character’s twisted smile once more.
