Like you didn’t know already, Jared Leto has slipped into The Joker’s shoes for the DC villain piece Suicide Squad. His role has had about thirty to forty seconds of screen time in the form of teaser trailers so far, but it’s already been subject to considerable scrutiny and analysis from all corners of the globe.
There’s been a vociferous reaction to Leto playing Batman’s biggest and most infamous foe ever since news of the cast bill filtered through the comic book community, which should perhaps come as no real surprise. Comic books have been producing some of the most colourful and captivating fictional characters for years, and when one as notable as The Joker is brought to life on the big screen, there’re always going to be questions raised as to whether the star in question has the ability to pull off a worthy portrayal.
Take Heath Ledger for instance. Many scoffed when they heard the Hollywood heartthrob was set to try his hand at depicting The Joker’s sadistic grin in The Dark Knight, but those same people were forced to eat humble pie when Ledger pulled off a crackerjack performance that rivaled (and even bettered, according to some) Jack Nicholson’s in Tim Burton’s Batman way back in 1989.
Ledger’s Joker looks like an impossibly maddening portrayal to top, and Leto has his work cut out if he’s to give as memorable a performance as the late, great star in Christopher Nolan’s Bat sequel. Both Batman V Superman director Zack Snyder and Suicide Squad David Ayer have seen Leto’s performance in the flesh and praised it, but what exactly is it that we can expect to see from Leto when the DC bad-guy bonanza hits screens later this year? us as we take a closer look.
Published: May 11, 2016 06:41 pm