#ICYMI: Thirty Seconds To Joker: Jared Leto Rumored To Play Iconic Batman Villain In DC’s “Suicide Squad”

By Andrew McMahon 

With the popularity of superhero movies continuing to gain momentum with each release, it was only a matter of time until Oscar winner Jared Leto threw his name into the hat. The Thirty Seconds to Mars Front-man has been the talk of the town in Hollywood lately, with rumors swirling of a potential role in DC’s upcoming movie, “Suicide Squad.”

The Suicide Squad is a comic that gives insight into the deranged villans of the DC world, with the central plot being that the villains are given a choice by the government to do their dirty work, or being executed. Devoted DC fans, and fans of the CW’s Arrow, have already been given a glimpse into the potential of the suicide squad, when the show devoted an entire subplot/episode towards the dastardly group (yielding positive results). The villainous government operatives were also the stars of the recently released DC/Warner Bros animated feature, Batman Assault on Arkham, based on the extremely successful Batman Arkham video game series. 

Earlier this year Leto was viewed as a potential candidate for the role of Superhero Doctor Strange (Stand alone film), but according to The Wrap, he looks to be in the running for a villain role instead. Not just any villain though, DC’s staple villain; easily the most widely recognizable comic book villain of all time (even outside of comic book audiences), The Joker.

With this news comes a lot indecision from fans, as many think that The Joker could never be done as well as Heath Ledger’s portrayal in The Dark Knight. Come on now, WHY SO SERIOUS? While there is some merit to those points, The Joker has been around for years, and can be portrayed in many ways that haven’t been taken advantage of in live action yet.

If the rumors are true, Leto now finds himself in the shoes that many actors attempting to take up the mantle of beloved characters, facing huge amounts of criticism before they even shoot a scene (yes including Ledger). But if his supporting role in Dallas Buyers Club showed us anything, it’s that Leto has great acting chops and range, and should be able to portray a more Flamboyant version of the joker, as opposed to Ledger’s far more sinister version.

Barring any delays or changes, DC announced at a press conference earlier this month that Suicide Squad (along with a bevy of other superhero movies) would receive a release date of August 5, 2016. Whether Leto will be The Joker or not, we are certainly excited, and we think everyone else should be too!

The Suicide Squad On The CW’s Arrow 

Berlanti Productions/DC Entertainment/Warner Bros. Television 

Batman: Assault On Arkham Trailer (July 2014)

Warner Premiere/DC Entertainment/Warner Bros. Animation

Dallas Buyers Club (Trailer)

Focus Features