As of this writing, Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto had the shortest run as the Joker with only one movie to his name. He had the fewest minutes too, given he wasn't even a main character in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. But despite the movie being critically panned, Leto's take on the Clown Prince Of Crime was praised for being a unique take on a classic character -- even if not all of his scenes landed with audiences.
Like him or not, this Joker clearly deserved another outing. But with the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) establishing a multiverse, you can never say never. Leto who is set to play the vampire scientist Michael Morbius in the upcoming Marvel/Sony production Morbius might just make a surprise return. Meanwhile, here's how Leto's Joker was different from other Jokers.
He's The Buffest Joker So Far
Leto's Joker had a few similarities to those that came before him. He did have the signature green hair and his skin was bleached white but that's as far as similarities go.
This version was the first not to have a disfigured smile or a smile created by makeup, with his makeup smile only appearing on his hand. The Joker's lips and cheeks were relatively normal, and his maniacal smile only emphasized by golden grills. Leto's Joker was also the first to have a series of tattoos all over his body. He also appeared more fit and in peak physical condition compared to others. Romero and Nicholson's middle-aged Jokers were admittedly thicker in size while Phoenix's version was quite slim, which only emphasized his worsening mental health.
He Has A Jokermobile
Leto's Joker was the first to own a special vehicle in a live-action film. In an attempt to copy Bruce Wayne's Batmobile, he named it the Jokermobile. The vehicle's model is the Infiniti G35 Vaydor and it was purple in color to go with his overall fashion sense. It was seen during a Batman cameo in the film, where he lands on top of it and wrecks both the vehicle and Joker.
Unsurprisingly, the vehicle first appeared in the DC comics. It was first seen in Detective Comics #570, when Joker used it to abduct a Catwoman in order to force her to reveal Batman's secret identity. The comics also state that vehicle was designed by Charles Brown, who would go on to become Kite-Man.
He "Loves" Harley Quinn
Leto's Joker cared more about Harley Quinn than the other versions because, to be fair, he's the only live-action Joker to even have Harley by his side. He was always talking about her and made sure they were in constant communication. He even made a few efforts to save her when she was in trouble.
Apart from the comic-book and animated versions, no other Joker was shown to be this close or obsessive towards Harley Quinn. But by the time of Birds of Prey, it's revealed that Joker was just manipulating Harley to do whatever he wanted, which led to their break-up.
He Has Customized Weapons Of Choice
All the Jokers have had different kinds of weapons. Nicholson's Joker was seen using a revolver with a hyper-extended barrel to shoot down the Batwing from the sky. Ledger's Joker prefers knives and bombs, and even used a rocket launcher against the police. Phoenix's Joker, on the other hand, only liked pistols though it was a choice made out of convenience more than anything.
As for Leto's Joker, he had a Colt Gold Cup Trophy handgun that he carried in a shoulder holster. He would later use it to kill Monster T. He also had a Norinco Type 56-1 gold-plated rifle, which he used while trying to save Harley Quinn.
He's Just A Regular Gangster
Compared to other Jokers, Leto's version was just a contemporary gangster. Ceasar Romero's Joker was a prankster who enjoyed being a clown more than committing crimes while Nicholson's Joker was a mobster. Ledger's Joker, on the other hand, was an anarchist. Phoenix's Joker was a comedian with a dark soul who wound up becoming the unintentional symbol of a violent class revolt.
Leto's Joker didn't appear to stand for anything in particular. He was simply a sadistic gangster who found joy in committing crimes and making sure Gotham never thrived.
He Only Had A Supporting Role
Leto's Joker was the only one to not be the main antagonist in a film. In all other major DC productions in which the Joker appeared, he has been the main villain. Romero's Joker, Nicholson's Joker, Hamill's Joker and Ledger's Joker were all stars of their productions alongside Batman, arguably eclipsing the Caped Crusader at points. Phoenix's Joker was even the star of his movie on his own, with no Batman anywhere.
In Suicide Squad, Leto's Joker was simply a supporting character among many other antagonists. Director David Ayer expressed his regrets at not making Joker the main villain, which is a point of criticism many critics and audiences pointed out earlier.
There's A File About Him
In Amanda Waller's government organization named ARGUS (Advanced Research Group Uniting Superhumans), there was a file about Joker. His origin was shown as Gotham City and his alias read "The Clown Prince Of Crime." Even if this file is rather vague and lacking in terms of important information, this is actually the closest thing to a record a Joker ever had.
For other Jokers, there were no files on the databases. Case in point, nothing could be found about Heath Ledger's Joker when Gotham P.D. tried to look him up. The same applied to all the previous versions of the Joker.
He Has A Favorite Joke
According to his file, Leto's Joker had a favorite joke. It's simply -- wait for it -- "Batman." Well, to other Gotham criminals, that name makes them shake with fear but to the Joker, the mere mention of his adversary's name is quite funny. No other Joker has been known to have a favorite joke since they found literally anything from smiling fishes to genocide funny.
Another thing that's worth noting is that Leto's Joker didn't smile that much. He laughed as frequently as the others but he rarely smiled. "Batman" being the one word that triggers his funny bone should be saying something.
He Has A Custom-Made Phone
Other Jokers didn't use phones that much. In fact, before Ledger's version, no Joker ever needed a phone or was at least shown with one on their person at all times. This is because, obviously, mobile phones hadn't become that popular in the early '90s going backwards. Even Heath's version only needed one to trigger a bomb at the police headquarters, not to orchestrate a scheme or something similar.
Thanks to being the most contemporary Joker to date, Leto's Joker was seen with several custom made purple phones. He gave one to Captain Griggs to deliver it to Harley Quinn so that the two lovers could communicate and plan an escape from Arkham.
He Killed Robin
All the Jokers have hurt Batman in different ways. For example, Nicholson's Joker killed Batman's parents when he was young while in The Dark Knight, Joker broke Harvey Dent in such a way that it forced Batman to go to some immoral extremes. Meanwhile, Leto's version was the first in a live-action film to kill Robin.
Before the Battle of Metropolis and occurring offscreen, he trapped and tortured (an unspecified) Robin to death with the assistance of Harley Quinn. He even spray-painted a message for Batman on Robin's suit to taunt him some more. An angry Batman would later smash the Joker's teeth in retaliation, resulting in his golden grills. This is also believed to be the proverbial straw that broke the Dark Knight's back, as he became more brutal and murderous in his war on crime following the death of Robin.