So we know Jared Leto is going to be the new Joker in the upcoming "Suicide Squad" movie. If you don’t know who the Joker is, he’s the iconic DC comics villain. Basically this guy:
Last played by the late Heath Ledger:
Now, the Joker is supposed to be completely psychotic. A real weirdo. But Leto seems to be going a little too far trying to get in character.
For background, method acting isn’t new to this actor. He always completely immerses himself in his roles, to the point of gaining 67 pounds for "Chapter 27" and dressing like a woman for the entirety of "Dallas Buyers Club." He mostly does a good job in the end and every movie is at least an experience, but a lot of times, it’s just so extra.
This time, it got a little weird, and the internet caught on.
This started a few months back, when Jared claimed he would be “locked up” for his portrayal of the Joker. If that isn’t the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard, I don’t know what is.
This post explains it better than I ever could.
Recently, it was reported that Jared apparently sent his co-star Margot Robbie (who plays Harley Quinn) a live rat. A LIVE RAT. He also sent his other co-stars a dead pig filled with bullets. (This is true. I checked.) Will Smith has said that he hasn't even met Jared Leto during the whole filming process, because he's been in character as "The Joker" the entire time.
Someone then posted fake articles, one with "Suicide Squad" Director David Ayer claiming Leto did some really 'scary' things, like putting "What if cameras were guns? Would you buy a mass murder?" in the lens of his camera. These events supposedly had him wondering wether The Joker had been a part of Jared all along. Another article detailed a co-star getting his phone hacked, with the words "disconnect" in bloody letters as the wallpaper. Again, both these articles are fake, but with the way Jared Leto had been carrying on, they seemed real.
Ah, the humble beginnings of a new meme. Fast forward to now, and everyone’s in on it.
It’s hilarious.
I know, in the end, he’ll still do a decent job. Like I said, every movie he does is an experience, good or bad. He just needs to stop taking himself so seriously.
Jared Leto seems to be trying to make his mark, and I can’t blame him for that. He has to try and one-up Heath Ledger's Joker (which apparently was amazing but eh), and also bring his own to a popular character, but I can’t see his Joker being anything but campy.
The entire movie looks slightly campy, and there’s nothing wrong with that. And really, how are we supposed to take this as seriously as he wants us to?
The teeth? Damaged tattooed across his forehead? Lol no.
I'm still planning on watching "Suicide Squad," and hey, August 15th is a long time away. Maybe Jared Leto will stop acting like he's the edgiest person in the world by then.
