Jared Leto’s Joker Is Also Getting His Own Movie Because Why the Hell Not
Love him or hate him, Jared Leto’s Joker was certainly a very…noticeable…part of Suicide Squad. And now Gotham City’s very own juggalo clown prince of crime is getting his very own spinoff because clearly Warner Bros. has remembered just who the hell Jared Leto is and recognized that he will not tolerate being left out of that other Joker movie that may or may not actually happen. How dare they.
Variety reports that a Joker standalone movie starring Jared Leto, aka the artist formerly known as Jordan Catalano, aka the guy who looks like millennial Jesus, aka the actor Denis Villeneuve actually compared to Jesus that one time on the set of Blade Runner 2049. In a move that will no doubt encourage ya boy’s antics, WB has decided, in its infinite wisdom, to put a Leto Joker movie into development with the intention to expand the Suicide Squad universe and improve upon what has obviously already been a flawless track record in the DCEU. (See, anyone can be a Joker. It’s that easy!)
If you, like me, were thrilled to learn that Todd Phillips was writing and directing another Joker movie executive produced by Martin Scorsese, inspired by King of Comedy, and with Joaquin Phoenix maybe-probably-most likely in talks to star — fear not, fellow appreciator of baffling cinema: Variety reports that that film is still very much happening, and goes one further by claiming that Phoenix is actually attached to it, despite repeatedly telling interviewers that he has no idea what the hell this movie is.
As previously reported, the Phillips/Phoenix Joker joint will be a part of Warner Bros.’ new banner of DC movies that exist outside the main franchise. Like actual comic books often do, these movies will posit alternate universes where different actors can take a crack at the various superheroes and villains and tell stories that diverge from the cinematic canon. So like maybe we’ll get an existential drama about the origins of Killer Croc with someone like a Walton Goggins. A girl can dream.
WB’s other upcoming spinoffs include, more notably, the Harley Quinn / Birds of Prey movie, starring and produced by Margot Robbie and directed by Cathy Yan.