The Joker may return in the upcoming Suicide Squad movie… but who could play him? Apparently, it may well be Jared Leto as DC‘s clown prince of crime.
According to The Wrap, the 42-year-old Oscar winner is currently tipped for the role of The Joker – Batman’s greatest foe. And it seems that Warner Bros is rather keen.
“Jared Leto is circling a key role in David Ayer‘s Suicide Squad that could prove to be The Joker,” they explain. “Warner Bros. had no comment, while a representative for Leto did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”
Of course, Jared Leto was reportedly interested in Marvel’s Doctor Strange for quite some time, but he’s yet to sign on to any new projects since the huge critical success of Dallas Buyers Club.
And that’s apparently what led him to consider Warner Bros. for a comic book role instead. Even if he wasn’t their first choice for the infamous killer clown…
“Ryan Gosling was initially sought to play The Joker but he was unwilling to sign a deal with options for multiple movies.”
Of course, The Joker was never originally intended to be part of David Ayer’s upcoming Suicide Squad movie at all… and he’s not exactly a mainstay of the comic books, either. But it seems that a later draft by Ayer himself brought The Joker into the franchise.
“The Joker did not appear in Justin Marks’ original draft of the screenplay,” they explain. “Ayer is expected to rewrite the script and that revision is rumored to include The Joker. After all, the studio would be hard-pressed to ignore Batman’s arch-enemy.”
It certainly makes a lot of sense. After all, Harley Quinn has recently been rumoured to appear in the movie… and with The Joker’s girlfriend making an appearance, perhaps that’s already good enough reason to bring The Joker into the fray.
Will Jared Leto land the coveted role? For now, we’ll have to wait and see. But I can’t help thinking that this is exactly the kind of genius, outside-the-box thinking that led to Ledger taking up the role in The Dark Knight.
Do you think Jared Leto will make a great Joker? Should The Joker even appear in the Suicide Squad movie? Let us know what you think in the comments below…
