Jared Leto as the Joker is a polarizing take on the character (as was Ayer’s take on the whole Suicide Squad film) and fans have not held back on giving their opinions about it.
It didn’t help that the Joker was very prominent in the marketing and trailers for the film, but once released, his presence was scarce. Not only did Ayer admit that the character’s look was maybe a bit much, he also wished the Joker had been written in a way that would later lead to further stories.
However, he doesn’t seem phased by the comments, telling Variety:
“I would definitely play the Joker again. It all depends on the script and the circumstances as it always does.”
James Gunn will try his hand at the reboot, which is set to release in theaters August 6, 2021. Though there is a chance that Leto would reprise the role of the Joker, the chance is very slim. Margot Robbie and Will Smith are also not returning, which would make his return strange. We may still see him in Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey, but there have not been any confirmations on that.
Variety also had the chance to ask Jared Leto about the Joker’s appearance in Birds of Prey. He responded with, “I don’t think so. You’d have to ask them,” quickly backpedaling and saying instead, “Well, we’ll see.” He almost had his own spin off with the character, so if he is not in this film, we’ll likely never see that portrayal again.
If anyone is a fan of how he plays comic book characters, they will get to see him bring Sony’s Morbius to life. July 31, 2020 is the release date for that film, which would see him switch from the DCEU to Marvel.
Joaquin Phoenix is the next actor to try their hand at playing the Joker. It’s in the origin film, Todd Phillips’ Joker, that we will see him again which releases on October 4th.