Considering how many Jokers there have been throughout cinema history and how almost every actor who has portrayed the clown prince of crime has knocked it out of the park, there’s one portrayal that stands out like a sore thumb for being totally polarizing. Jared Leto’s performance as the Joker in 2016’s Suicide Squad, which was directed by David Ayer, was a big reason why Birds of Prey turned out the way it did and why the movie is getting a soft reboot, which will be released later this year.
It was also promised to Leto by Warner Bros. that he’d feature in several more movies as the iconic character, but that never came to fruition. But while the actor’s depiction and the character’s gangster rapper-like look has their critics, there’s a lot surrounding the character that would make a great solo movie.
Should: His Performance In Suicide Squad Was Chopped
Ever since the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League early this month, which saw the director restore the old footage and include $70 million worth of new footage, fans have been clamoring for an Ayer cut of Suicide Squad.
The reason why is because there’s so much unused footage of the Joker that was just left on the cutting room floor, and dumping Joker from Birds of Prey squandered any potential to see that footage. But if there was a sequel, those cut scenes could be used in the form of flashbacks. Leto has even said that there are over 90 minutes of unused Joker material, which itself could be released as a standalone Joker movie.
Shouldn’t: There’s No Topping Joaquin Phoenix’s Portrayal
Though Leto took the form of a new joker and was expected to feature in multiple movies, Warner Bros. greenlit Joker, an origin story with a completely different portrayal from Joaquin Phoenix, making it the first time a villain has been depicted in two different movie universes at the same time.
And despite being R-rated and a relatively low budget, Joker was a huge success commercially, making over a billion dollars, and it was a critical darling too, thanks to borrowing from movies like Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. Given how comical Leto’s Joker is compared to Joaquin Phoenix’s intense performance, it’d be hard to take it seriously at all.
Should: Fans Need An Explanation For His Tattoos
In Suicide Squad, the Joker was represented as being more of a gangster than in any other portrayal of the character, and he also had some gangster-rapper tattoos to go along with it. Generally, the tattoos were considered ridiculous, with some even thinking the first-look image was something of an April fool's joke.
But others have speculated that there must be some kind of deeper reason behind that tattoos, as there’s no way that the Joker, being as spontaneous as he is, would just sit in a chair getting “Haha” tattooed on him repeatedly for hours. Many believe that he isn’t the first Joker, and it was the original Joker that tattooed him, which is an idea that simply has to be developed.
Shouldn’t: The Character Has No Depth
Not only compared to Todd Phillips’ immaculate take on the character, but compared to Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson, and even Cesar Romero’s portrayal in the goofy 1966 Batman movie, Leto’s Joker has no depth whatsoever.
His buff figure is just shameless bravado and the tattoos, on the face of it and despite some cool theories, are just there to make the Joker look cooler. A Joker solo movie could very much follow the same hollow representation that was found in Suicide Squad.
Should: A Whole Movie Of A Neon Tinged Gotham
Though it might have been hollow, the criminal underbelly of Gotham that was found in Suicide Squad was very cinematically inviting. From the flashy clubs that Joker hung out in, to riding around in a pink Lamborghini, also known as the Jokermobile, it’s a look that’s totally fresh to Batman but also pleasantly reminiscent of the animated series Batman Beyond.
However, only a few minutes of this world was shown in Suicide Squad before it switched to a grey, rundown, dystopian-looking aesthetic. A movie following the Joker running this neon-lit world with his minions could be the most stunning-looking crime movie ever made.
Shouldn’t: Leto Has Found A New Home At Marvel
After almost being bullied out of the DC Extended Universe by fans and heads at Warner Bros. alike, Leto was not only rejected from Birds of Prey, but the actor looked elsewhere for a new anti-hero franchise.
Though it has been delayed, Leto will be starring as the titular vampire in Sony’s Morbius, a man who turns into a vampire after trying to cure himself of a rare blood disease. Though not in the MCU (that we know of,) Morbius is a Marvel property and is set in the same universe as Venom, so it’s likely that this movie is setting up something bigger.
Should: There Are So Many Theories To Explore
As his screen time in Suicide Squad adds up to less than 10 minutes and his short appearance in Zack Snyder’s Justice League only comes in the epilogue, fans haven’t actually seen much of Leto’s Joker at all.
And though the character of Joker has always had an ambiguous origin, Leto’s Joker is subject to many more theories than any other depiction, all of which could be explored. The best of them all is that he’s actually Jason Todd, which makes sense considering how young he looks compared to Ben Affleck’s Batman.
Shouldn’t: It Could Further Stigmatize Mental Health
Though it's unfair to cast a 2021 lens on a movie from 2016, it was still an issue upon the movie’s release, as Suicide Squad portrayed being “crazy” as nothing more than a cool look.
And the use of straight jackets in the movie, something that hasn’t been used in the industry for decades and is only ever used in movies for comedic effect, further paints people with mental health issues in a bad light. Where 2019’s Joker approached the idea of the character having mental issues in a mature way, Leto’s Joker did the exact opposite.
Should: It Could Finally Pit Him Against Batfleck
Ben Affleck’s portrayal of Batman has never faced off against any of the character’s villains in the infamous rogues gallery, which is a missed opportunity. Though they finally came face to face in the final few minutes of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Batman and Joker have never actually been at odds against one another in this universe.
Considering how physically imposing Leto’s Joker is compared to any other Joker that came before or after, he could actually be a great match for the shredded, tire-pulling Batfleck.
Shouldn’t: He Was Redeemed Perfectly In Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Despite the ridiculously weird “reach-around” line that verged on flirtation between the two sworn enemies, Joker’s appearance at the end of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, as short as it was, actually redeemed the character in ways people who have seen Suicide Squad can’t even imagine.
Leto played the character in an almost entirely different manner to how he did in the 2016 movie, and it was wrapped up perfectly. However, Leto’s part in the movie could be the very best way to do a Joker solo movie, by taking place in the Knightmare timeline.