The Joker is arguably one of the most popular comic book characters of all time, and there have been numerous actors to play the role. Some have been critically acclaimed and even went on to win Academy Awards. While others have been bashed and criticized for their portrayal. Three actors have played the Joker in the past 4 years, including Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix, and most recently Barry Keoghan.
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Out of the three Leto has had the toughest time while in the role. Leto played Joker in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad back in 2016, and the film was panned. People hated Suicide Squad, and some of that hate trickled down to the Clown Prince of Crime. You would think that that kind of publicity would make an actor never want to appear as the character again, and you’d be wrong. Zack Snyder convinced the Academy Award-winning actor to return as the Joker for his directors cut of 2017’s Justice League, and even then the reactions to his appearance were somewhat mixed.
While doing the press tour for Sony’s upcoming Spider-Man spin-off Morbius, Leto was asked if he’d be open to returning in the role, and his answer isn’t very surprising.
“Never say never,” the actor told Variety before explaining his attachment to the characters he portrays after production wraps. “For me, they’re like living, breathing people. I know they’re not, of course, but I get attached. It’s a shame to never do it again.”
Leto previously explained how he returned as Joker in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and we hope that something similar can happen in a future project.
“It was a secret I had to keep for so long, it feels funny to even talk about it,” Leto told Entertainment Tonight. “[Snyder] knows that world like nobody else… He cares so deeply about the character. He cares so much about the fans. I was happy to be a part of his journey and retelling that story and telling it the way that he always dreamed of. And it was fun to dip my toe into the character again.”
Jared Leto will be seen next as Michael Morbius in Sony’s upcoming Morbius movie. Morbius will also star Michael Keaton, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Matt Smith and Tyrese Gibson. Morbius follows Leto as Michael Morbius, a doctor who is suffering from a rare blood condition and tries a very risky cure that essentially turns him into a vampire. The film will hit theaters on April 1, 2022.
Would you like to see Jared Leto return as the Joker or do you want to see other actors in the role? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @NateBrail up on Twitter!
