Jared Leto Teases Huge Batman And Joker Crossover
We’re still not exactly sure when we’re going to see Jared Leto’s Joker again. After his debut in Suicide Squad last summer, the American actor isn’t believed to be involved in Justice League, and with The Batman still not confirmed, no other film on the DC Extended Universe’s slate appears primed to include the villain.
But Jared Leto has now taken to Twitter to tease that a Joker and Batman crossover is actually in the works over at the DC Extended Universe. And if it’s true then it will be huge. Because Jared Leto took to the website to post an image of the cover for Batman: The Killing Joke, one of the most celebrated graphic novels in history. You can check out Jared Leto’s Twitter post below.
— JARED LETO (@JaredLeto) January 19, 2017
The Killing Joke was released in 1988, and came from the mind of writer Alan Moore, while it was illustrated by Brian Bolland. The Killing Joke provided a backstory and origin for the Joker, revealing that he became so villainous after he left his job to become a stand-up comedian, which he failed at, while his pregnant wife died in a household accident. Desperate for cash, the Joker agrees to assist two criminals in a robbery. This went awry, and led to his first interaction with Batman, who he tried to escape from. During his escape, The Joker was permanently disfigured by chemicals, and on top of the news of his wife and unborn child’s death, he subsequently turned insane.
Of course, the fact that Jared Leto was looking through The Killing Joke immediately provoked online hysteria, as fans of the DC Extended Universe interpreted the post as a sign that the actor was reading the graphic novel as preparation for his return as The Joker. Jared Leto didn’t make any suggestion in his Twitter post that this was the case, but with Ben Affleck having repeatedly insisted that he has been working tirelessly on the script for The Batman over the last year, moviegoers are now hoping that Jared Leto will pop up in the blockbuster.
There might be a slight hiccup to this plan, though. That’s because it has already been confirmed that Joe Manganiello will portray the super-villain Deathstroke in Ben Affleck’s Batman film, while he’s also expected to pop up in Justice League in November, too.
While Jared Leto’s original casting as The Joker was met with a positive response, especially after he had just won the Best Supporting Academy Award for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, the lack of screen-time for the villain in Suicide Squad led to a mixed response to his performance. It also didn’t help that Suicide Squad itself was met with mediocre reviews.
However, despite the tepid reviews, Suicide Squad went on to gross $745.6 million at the box office, and there is still an eagerness to see what Jared Leto can do as The Joker when he is given more time on screen. During his interview with the Toronto Sun ahead of Suicide Squad’s release, Jared Leto made it clear that he wanted to return as The Joker, too, even declaring that he wanted to go up against Ben Affleck’s Batman. Jared Leto declared,
“I think it would be incredible to see Batman and the Joker go head-to-head! This Batman and this Joker. I mean, I don’t know, that might be too much! But that would be fun.”
During the same interview Jared Leto also insisted that he wants to continue to portray The Joker for many more years to come, as he added,
“I could easily just play the Joker a couple more times and then retire because it’s so fulfilling and so creative and it’s so imaginative. It’s really difficult to think about doing anything else.”
Now the DC Extended Universe just have to find the right film for him to feature in.
[Featured Image by Warner Bros]
