Since 2008 we have seen three separate theatrical interpretations of The Joker. In the 2008 Christopher Nolan classic ‘The Dark Knight’ the late Heath Ledger brought the character back to the big screen and, in many ways, influenced how future audiences would judge the character and for his efforts he won a posthumous Oscar for supporting actor. In 2019 Joaquin Phoenix paired with Todd Phillips to bring a dark and depressing re-imagining of the character that earned the actor equivalent acclaim and earned an Oscar for Best actor at the 2020 Oscars. But, sandwiched in between both of these performances was Jared Leto’s portrayal in the fiercely debated 2016 film ‘Suicide Squad’.
Jared Leto’s performance as the clown prince of crime has garnered defense, vitriol, and indifference. But, overall, many agree that it is difficult to determine much about his performance at all since it was so notoriously torn apart in the editing room. But, despite all of this, Jared Leto spoke in a more positive disposition when offering his thoughts on the future of the character:
“I think in the next 10 or 20 years we’re gonna keep seeing these amazing interpretations and so many different people get to steep in those shows”
He went on to refer to Marvel and DC as “popcorn movies’ but also said they can be “a little bit more”
“Sometimes they’re Shakespearean. It’s quite amazing that these characters were written 50, 60, 70 years ago and we’re still obsessed with them”
Leto’s future as The Joker is still very much unsure. While we don’t know if anything will come of the much discussed “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad we do know that Jared Leto will at least get one more stab at the character in March in ‘Zack Snyders Justice League’ on HBO Max. And he will be seen in the Marvel/Sony comic book blockbuster ‘Morbius‘ in January 2022.
Jared Leto found playing Morbius challenging because the role was not as character driven
“It was hard for me in some way, I’m not used to playing roles that are a little bit closer to who I am, a little closer to the way that I talk and the way that I behave.”
(@Variety) pic.twitter.com/D9sq2IO5YH
— Geek Vibes Nation (@GeekVibesNation) January 27, 2021
Where does Jared Leto fall for you in your Joker rankings? and would you be excited to see him take on the role again?
Born and raised in DFW Texas. 24 years old. Studied at Texas Wesleyan University. Positively love movies and love writing about them and everything that goes into them.
