Arguably the greatest supervillain of all time, the Joker, has been famously played by both Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger (RIP). Each actor has been praised for his portrayal of the Jester of Genocide and when it was revealed that Jared Leto would be joining the cast of Suicide Squad as the Joker, fans of the comics had mixed reactions.
It may seem that no one could possibly outdo Ledger in "The Dark Knight," but there was a time when fans didn't believe Ledger could compare to Nicholson's Joker. What made each actor so successful was that they played off of different aspects of the ever-changing character. Even in the comics, the Joker has morphed in personality and origin. When he was first introduced, he was a sadistic psychopath with a sharp wit and high intelligence. In later appearances, he was more of a prankster, only to go back to his sociopathic ways. So which Joker will Leto be and why should we be stoked about it?
(If you haven't seen the trailer for "Suicide Squad," do yourself a favor and watch it here .)
In this trailer, we get our first look at the Joker. Fans of the comics will notice Leto's Joker looks like the Joker in "The Killing Joke"; bleached skin (no makeup), red lips, and green hair, which are a result of his fall into a vat of acid. This is different from Nicholson's and Ledger's appearance, who both sported makeup. What makes this so exciting is that this means we may get to see a backstory on how the Joker became the Joker. Another thing the trailer reveals is that we get to FINALLY see the Harley Quinn / Joker backstory, which is crucial to his development as a character. With the trailer's references to "The Killing Joke" and "Death in the Family," we can expect to see a psychotic and sadistic Joker, which in my opinion, is the best Joker of all.
As for Leto himself, I personally couldn't think of a better actor to portray this version of the famous villain. If you aren't familiar with his work, a good place to start is the film "Requiem for a Dream" (have tissues ready). You may also recognize him from his small role in "Girl, Interrupted" alongside Winona Ryder. He is well-known for completely throwing himself into his roles, going through intense physical changes and taking on the mindset of his characters. This is a trait Ledger also possessed, which is largely what made his Joker so memorable. With Leto's dedication and skill set, I doubt fans will be disappointed with his performance.
"Suicide Squad" isn't set to be released until 2016, but you can keep up with Leto on Instagram, where he often posts photos from the set or of himself in character.
