WB Reportedly Interested In Leonardo DiCaprio As The Joker

Warner Bros. took the industry by surprise last week when it announced that Martin Scorsese was teaming up with the studio to produce a standalone Joker film, telling the story of the villain’s origin. Not only that, but the studio announced that Hangover director Todd Phillips would helm the film, and a new Joker actor would be cast.

What could make this whole scenario sound even crazier? It’s funny you ask, because reports are now saying that WB wants Leonardo DiCaprio for the role.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the studio is going to use Scorsese to try and lure the Oscar-winning actor into the world of DC movies. The report goes on to say that Scorsese’s involvement could help to elevate the comic book genre in the hopes of creating more award-winning films like The Dark Knight.

As of now, there is no offer on the table for DiCaprio. Scorsese’s deal reportedly isn’t even finalized yet. However, even if the legendary producer does get on board, the chances of landing DiCaprio are still slim.

While no one can doubt DiCaprio’s talent as an actor, could he really be right for this role? The film is supposed to be an origin story for the character, set back in the ’80s. This would mean that the Joker would be younger, right? DiCaprio is older than Heath Ledger was when he portrayed the Joker, and he’s also older than the villain’s current actor Jared Leto.

If the studio somehow landed DiCaprio, it would really need to stand on its own and not connect to any previous Jokers in any way. They’d also need to work hard to make sure a Scorsese period movie about DiCaprio in an insane asylum doesn’t seem too much Shutter Island.