Few performances across the DCEU were more widely reviled than Jared Leto’s Joker, but his controversial take on the Clown Prince of Crime wasn’t without its redeeming qualities.
When Jared Leto was announced to be the latest in the long line of actors to play Joker in 2016’s Suicide Squad, the choice was met with skepticism, to say the least. That being said, there was a time when the Heath Ledger seemed like an incompatible choice for the role as well, only for the portrayal to be met with critical acclaim even outside the realm of comic book fandom.
Unfortunately, Jared Leto’s Joker was just as flawed in practice as he was in premise. The awkward delivery, puzzling wardrobe and makeup choices, and lack of importance in the overall story. For playing such an important character, Jared Leto’s Joker barely appeared in the DCEU’s film library, the franchise quietly shelving him for the foreseeable future until the dissolution of the shared cinematic universe. Still, among such powerhouse performances like Joaquin Phoenix, Heath Ledger, and Jack Nicholson, being the lowest-regarded version of the character doesn’t necessarily mean Jared Leto’s take had nothing to appreciate.
Jared Leto is no longer the Joker of DC Extended Universe but there’s something about his take on the character that continues to divide fans.
10Leto’s Joker Tries Something Different
The performance was certainly unique, if nothing else
Following up Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight was certainly a daunting task, and the DCEU was smart to avoid imitation. While Leto’s Joker sometimes had shades of Ledger’s iconic voice in his line delivery, he went above and beyond to make the character his own. It’s hard not to appreciate that Leto fully committed to the role, even going so far as to send his Suicide Squad co-stars bizarre gifts in the name of developing the Joker’s personality.
The DCEU even canceled two Joker movies that were further along in the pipeline, essentially retconning the character’s very existence.
Leto’s famously full method performance was sadly largely left on the cutting room floor by the film, with Leto later expressing frustration over the DCEU’s premature cover-up of his role after a frosty initial reception. The DCEU even canceled two Joker movies that were further along in the pipeline, essentially retconning the character’s very existence. Considering that the few glimpses audiences did get of Leto’s performance offered a more violent, sadistic, and unstable Joker than had ever been seen before, it’s a shame that series didn’t work with Leto more to deliver his vision for the famous villain.
9Leto’s Joker Was Set Up To Have A Complex Relationship With Batman
Zack Snyder’s Justice League offered a fascinating glimpse into their rivalry
Nailing the relationship between Joker and Batman is one of the most important aspects of the character to get right in any adaptation. Many stories in both film and comic book mediums have described the two as being opposite sides of the same coin. In The Dark Knight, when asked by Batman if he wanted him dead, Ledger’s Joker exclaimed “I don’t want to kill you! What would I do without you?” Mark Hamill’s iconic Joker performance in Batman: The Animated Series was also famous for remarking “Without Batman, crime has no punchline.” upon learning of Batman’s supposed death.
Ben Affleck’s Batman and Jared Leto’s Joker had the potential to explore an incredibly rich and fascinating relationship between the two characters, something audiences sadly never got to see pan out. Zack Snyder gave a tantalizing taste of their complex relationship in his version of Justice League, in which Batman and Joker have to begrudgingly work together, though they speak to each other almost as if they were old friends. The thin line between love and hate is a powerful angle for the two characters that Leto’s Joker had the potential to develop, only to be taken away too soon.
8Joker’s Controversial Design Was Never Explained On-Screen
Jared Leto’s “Hot Topic” look actually had some thought behind it
Beyond Leto’s actual performance and on-set shenanigans as Joker, one of the most frequent criticisms of the DCEU’s version of the character was his costume design. From the trendy haircut to the gold grills and bad boy tattoos, especially the infamous “Damaged” tattoo written across Leto’s forehead, Joker’s design was widely ridiculed upon being revealed to the public. While his design certainly isn’t as clean or timeless as other Jokers, deserving its criticism, the DCEU actually had a good reason for many of his costume and makeup choices.
It may surprise former DCEU fans to learn that each of Jared Leto’s Joker tattoos had an explanation, however minor, that at least demonstrated some amount of thought went into his inked-up look. Additionally, Joker’s infamous grills were explained by David Ayer as the result of having all his teeth knocked out by Batman, necessitating some flashy dental work. The “Damaged” tattoo, while definitely a step too far in over-designing Leto’s Joker, was described as a response to his missing teeth, teasing Batman about the cosmetic damage he had caused.
7Leto’s Joker Had Weaponry And Vehicles Suiting His Whims
Most Jokers were too afraid to lean in to his comic book arsenal
In most depictions of the Joker, the villain augments his chaotic schemes with a bevy of clown-themed weaponry and vehicles, never missing the opportunity to dress up his dangerous escapades in Gotham City with some circus presentation. For the most part, the film versions of the character have been too afraid to lean into this aspect of the character, worrying audiences won’t find him menacing or scary enough if allowed to be seen flying a gaudy purple-and-green blimp. Jack Nicholson’s Joker actually had a fair number of clown gadgets, wielding shock buzzers, acidic squirting flowers, and a comically oversized revolver.
Every other version of the Joker since Nicholson has relied on mostly mundane guns and cars, but Leto’s Joker wasn’t afraid to lean in to the madness of flashy equipment befitting the clown theme. From his decidedly unsubtle purple Lamborghini to his elaborate gilded firearms to his henchman clad in campy mascot outfits, Jared Leto’s Joker missed no opportunity to show off. In a way, the trappings of his attention-grabbing equipment made Leto’s Joker more comic-accurate than most.
6Even “Bad” Performances Work For The Joker
It’s not exactly hard to play an insane criminal
One interesting thing about the character of the Joker from an actor’s perspective is that any performance of the villain will essentially work, so long as it’s sufficiently unnerving and bombastic. The Joker isn’t exactly a subtle character, but he is unique, and many of the intricacies of crafting a delicate performance that work for most roles may not always translate to him. Thusly, Leto’s “weird” take is still effective in its own way.
He doesn’t talk or act like a normal person, and because of that, any performance that is sufficiently bombastic will be enough to convey the lunacy of Batman’s archenemy.
It doesn’t matter as much that Leto was awkward or erratic, because the Joker himself is all those things and more. He doesn’t talk or act like a normal person, and because of that, any performance that is sufficiently bombastic will be enough to convey the lunacy of Batman’s archenemy. Even if he may be the least compelling Joker to sit opposite the many cinematic incarnations of Batman, Leto’s performance did work for the character overall.
5Leto’s Joker Felt Like A Gangster
Leto emphasized the criminal in the Clown Prince of Crime
The Joker has many different aspects that each of the acclaimed actors to have tackled the role have identified with in varying ways. Jack Nicholson’s Joker was a flamboyant supervillain, Heath Ledger’s was an unbridled agent of chaos, and Joaquin Phoenix’s was a tragic comedian. But one element of the character Leto specifically leaned into the hardest was his criminal nature, and the DCEU’s Joker felt the most like an actual gangster evading the law and committing crimes by a long shot.
Jared Leto’s Joker scenes in Suicide Squad brought to mind the personality of an unstable underworld crime boss, along the same lines as Tuco Salamanca in the Breaking Bad series or Tony Montana of Scarface fame. Not only was he a dangerous criminal, but he was feared by other dangerous criminals, as clearly demonstrated in the nightclub scene, in which his unstable reputation preceded him in his interactions with other bosses. No other Joker has been able to put the “Crime” in the title “The Clown Prince of Crime” quite like Jared Leto was able to.
4Leto’s Joker Actually Used The Ace Chemicals Origin
One of the few cinematic Jokers to actually have the character’s signature stained skin and hair
In both the comics and the films, the Joker’s origin is often left to be something of a mystery, with either conflicting stories or a total lack of information clouding his past. That being said, the most well-known origin story is the idea that the Joker was once an ordinary, small-time criminal who fell into a vat of volatile acid in Gotham City’s Ace Chemicals, which forever alters his body and fractures his mind. Surprisingly, Leto was the second Joker ever to actually utilize this origin.
While Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is an origin story in and of itself, and Heath Ledger’s Joker origin has multiple theories that remain unconfirmed, Leto’s Joker was the first to re-use the Ace Chemicals origin since Jack Nicholson. Ergo, he’s only the second cinematic Joker to actually have chalk-white skin and fully green hair, whereas many other Joker iterations simply rely on makeup and hair dye. It’s worth praising the DCEU for actually taking the time to establish the Joker as something other than a lunatic criminal with a near limitless supply of white face paint and green hair dye.
3Leto’s Joker Created Harley Quinn
And remains the only live-action Joker to do so
If no other praise can be leveled at Jared Leto’s Joker, he’s at least worth appreciating for his hand in the creation of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, an incredibly faithful and well-received adaptation of the popular villainess. While the development of the DCEU’s Joker seducing and transforming Dr. Harleen Quinzel into Harley Quinn was crammed into a rushed flashback, it remains a visually striking and atmospheric sequence. Leto manages to delivery some genuinely chilling dialogue when standing over the barely-conscious Dr. Quinzel, promising that he won’t kill her, but is indeed going to hurt her, “really, really bad.”
Jared Leto’s Joker worked well as an object of Harley Quinn’s affection early on, and giving him a sort of “bad boy” attractive appeal worked better for selling Harley’s hopeless commitment to her toxic relationship. Seeing Harley take a plunge into an Ace Chemicals vat herself was also a visual treat, and the rancid romance may not have worked as well with another actor driving the obsession. If nothing else, Leto’s Joker at least helped bring about a worthy first live-action portrayal of Harley Quinn.
2The Joker Was Willing To Work Against Common Enemies
Crazy as he might be, he didn’t want Darkseid taking over
Batman and the Joker working together isn’t a trope that’s explored very often, but never fails to crowd please when it is implemented into a Batman story. The closest audiences ever got to seeing this play out in live action was the brief interaction between Jared Leto’s Joker and Ben Affleck’s Batman in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, in which the two appear to be working together in a twisted vision of the future. Snyder’s Justice League cut nearly redeemed Leto’s Joker single-handedly with the thoroughly fascinating dialogue exchange between the two.
This appearance suggested that Leto was capable of more depth with his Joker persona than he initially let on, though he was sadly never given a chance to properly explore it.
In his brief cameo, Jared Leto was able to shockingly dial back his Joker performance, selling the threat of the Knightmare future by toning down his usual over-the-top antics. This appearance suggested that Leto was capable of more depth with his Joker persona than he initially let on, though he was sadly never given a chance to properly explore it. Even in the base cut of Justice League, Batman carries a Joker card taped to the stock of his assault rifle in the Knightmare sequence, suggesting their cooperation had quite a profound impact on him.
1Leto’s Joker Managed To Kill Robin
No other cinematic Joker has dealt quite a blow to Batman
The Joker is a particularly vicious villain no matter who plays him, with every live-action Joker reveling in wanton destruction and holding a callous disregard for most human life. That being said, no on-screen Joker has been able to hurt his Batman counterpart quite as badly as Jared Leto’s. In Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne has a brief shot glancing at a Robin suit, desecrated with graffiti clearly evocative of the Joker’s handiwork, reading “Ha Ha Ha! Joke’s On You, Batman.”
This suggests the events of the original DC Comic in which Joker brutally beats the second version of Robin, Jason Todd, to death with a crowbar is indeed canon in the DCEU. It’s safe to say that no other Joker has come close to striking such a personal blow to Bruce Wayne, with Heath Ledger’s murder of Rachel in The Dark Knight being a close second. Still, Leto’s Joker is the only one with a confirmed superhero kill on his hands, making the DCEU Joker one of the most threatening versions of the character despite all his flaws.
