Jared Leto in TRON Reboot: What Does it Mean for DCEU Joker?

A TRON reboot is happening, and word has come down that Oscar-winning Suicide Squad actor Jared Leto is being eyed to lead the franchise.

Naturally, fans of the DC Extended Universe of DC Films are hearing this news and wondering: If Jared Leto is leading a new TRON movie, what does that mean for his future as The Joker in the DCEU?

Details about TRON are still coming to light, but based on what we know already, we can definitely draw some early conclusions.

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Contract Obligations

There’s no real insight into Jared Leto’s DCEU contract – but we do know that he will be reappearing in the DCEU at some point. 

Leto himself has previously said “I feel like this film is an introduction to the Joker, and I’m hopeful that we will see more to come. I think you don’t really say goodbye. I think the Joker’s in there somewhere.”

He’s also expressed desire to reappear in the next Batman movie; he’s likely in consideration for Suicide Squad 2; and with films like Suicide Squad spinoff Gotham City Sirens now happening, there’s plenty of room for a Joker appearance. 

That’s all to say: no matter what happens with TRON, Leto is most likely coming back to the DCEU somewhere, at some point, in the future. Hell, assuming DC movies are like Marvel movies, he probably has to. 

Scheduling

Disney’s plans for this TRON reboot seem to still be in the early stages, and without a solid production timeline to reference, it’s hard to analyze how commitments to that franchise will affect Leto’s DCEU schedule going forward. 

Moving from TRON over to DC Films: We know that Suicide Squad director David Ayer is already working to get the various pieces of Gotham City Sirens in order – while Suicide Squad 2 is still looking for a new director. Meanwhile, War for the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves is in place to direct The Batman, and is presumably at work getting pre-production in place, as DC/WB clearly wanted to move ahead with the film sooner rather than later. 

We say all that to say: Depending on when Disney gets TRON going, Leto could likely be just finishing some work (Batman), preparing for some new work (GCS, SS2) – or a combination of both.

The More Franchises, The Merrier

All in all, fans of Jared Leto’s Joker probably shouldn’t be overly concerned with his TRON movie casting, as it seems there is plenty of time and space to experiment with taking on that franchise, and committing to more DCEU films. 

If anything, what’s most surprising is that Leto is jumping into a new geek-friendly franchise like TRON at this time in his career – especially after his very public frustrations with Suicide Squad, and The Joker’s greatly reduced role in the film. 

Having won an Oscar in 2014 for Dallas Buyers Club, Leto (who traditionally has picked smaller indie film roles) could have his pick of dramatic parts; so again, seeing him add TRON to his resume right after a DC movie is what’s most surprising. However, in the end, the more geek franchises that get great acting talent in them, the better for us, the fans.

NEXT: What TRON 3 Would’ve Been