David Harbor Takes Subtle Jab At Jared Leto's Joker

Before Stranger Things catapulted David Harbour to leading actor status, he also played a minor role in Suicide Squad.

Now he's returning to the comic book movie world with Hellboy, even though his friends tried to dissuade him.

"I was approached by some very prominent nerds who I know very well, and I respect their opinions because they're friends of mine, who were like, 'Dude, step away from the Hellboy. Step away,'" said Harbour.

While speaking with the Hollywood Reporter about the new role, Harbour said he hoped fans would be on board for the reboot and threw some shade at his Suicide Squad co-star in the process.

"I can like Michael Keaton's Batman and I can like Christian Bale's Batman," Harbour said. "I can like Jack Nicolson's Joker and I can like Heath Ledger's Joker. There's other Jokers I don't have to like."

Ouch, sounds like he's definitely talking about Jared Leto's take on the character.

The Joker underwent some significant changes for his big screen appearance in DC Comics' cinematic universe, giving him tattoos and gold teeth and making him more of a criminal boss than an unpredictable villain.

Some fans criticized the Suicide Squad version of the Joker, though the whole movie was panned by viewers. There were also significant reshoots and alterations, with a significant chunk of Leto's scenes left on the cutting room floor. Whether that would have changed how fans viewed the film or Leto's portrayal is something only the multiverse can answer.

And while it's pretty clear Harbour was criticizing Leto, who knows? Maybe he just doesn't like Cesar Romero's take on the Clown Prince of Crime?

Harbour does have a point; while Ron Perlman was beloved by fans for his role in the two Hellboy movies directed by Guillermo del Toro, that does not preclude anyone from enjoying the upcoming reboot.

It might sting that Perlman, del Toro, and Co. will not reunite for a third film in the trilogy, but Harbour promises the new Hellboy film will be completely different.

Hellboy is scheduled to premiere in theaters on January 11th, 2019.