Jared Leto Addresses If He Will Play the Joker Again

In 2008, Heath Ledger gave audiences a defining Joker performance for a generation in The Dark Knight, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Following the conclusion of that Batman series, fans wondered who could adopt the role in the future, with Jared Leto ultimately debuting his take on the character in 2016's Suicide Squad. The film might not have earned strong reviews, but it was seemingly a hit with audiences, earning $746 million worldwide. Future DC Comics films are seemingly paving a new path, with Joaquin Phoenix playing the titular character in this fall's Joker, but Leto isn't ruling out returning to the role at some point in the future.

"I would definitely play the Joker again," Leto admitted to Variety. "It all depends on the script and the circumstances as it always does."

The state of the DC Extended Universe was quite different back in 2016, with both Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice being huge box office successes and critical failures. When Wonder Woman hit theaters in the summer of 2017 and became a huge success with critics and audiences, all while the Zack Snyder-directed Justice League disappointed audiences and critics alike, this seemingly confirmed for Warner Bros. that pushing a shared universe wasn't the best way to utilize its characters.

Previously, Leto was reportedly set to star in a solo Joker movie in addition to starring in a Suicide Squad sequel. That sequel will now serve as more of a reboot with no word on the Joker being involved. Harley Quinn, the standout character in Suicide Squad, is getting her own spinoff in Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), leaving fans to wonder if Leto would appear in some capacity.

"I don't think so. You'd have to ask them," Leto shared when asked if he would appear. "Well, we'll see."

The upcoming Joker is a different take on the villain, so Leto wasn't technically "replaced" for the film, with the actor noting that the more superheroes movies that are out there, the better it is for audiences.

"I mean, five or 10 years ago, I don't know if we thought that there would be people this excited about going to the movies this weekend," the actor confessed.

Stay tuned for details on Leto's future as the Joker.

Would you like to see the actor return to the role? Let us know in the comments below!

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