TEN THINGS JARED LETO NEEDS TO DO AS THE JOKER

As of this writing we are a little over a year away from the release of Suicide Squad.  What that really means is that we're closer to seeing a new, bad ass live action version of Harley Quinn and what's looking like a truly terrifying new take on the Joker. If there is any actor worthy of following in Heath Ledger's footsteps it's definitely Jared Leto. Leto is known for going full on method for his roles. I'm sure he'll give us yet another unforgettable Joker to keep us up at night.

I'm sure this won't shock you but the Joker is my all time favorite villain. He's a character that can bring the whole DCU to its knees. And then he'll laugh his ass off about it. Everyone has their favorite version of the Joker. Most would agree that Mark Hamill is the best. I would agree. However, I believe that they all bring something to the table. The Joker can be a simple clown criminal or a complex monster. Here's a list of what I think Jared Leto needs to do as the Joker. Now keep in mind, much like my Batman/Ben Affleck suggestions from a few months ago, some of these are out of his control. But hear me out:

THE LAUGH

If we just had recordings of different actors laughing as the Joker I'm sure we could pick them all apart. The laugh is to the Joker as the gravelly voice is to Batman. It's a signature. We caught a glimpse of a staccato laugh in the Comic Con trailer for Suicide Squad. Something tells me that that was just an appetizer. While that laugh was scary and got everyone jazzed up to see the Joker again, it's only the beginning . . . 

BEST FRIENDS 

It's been confirmed that Batman will play some sort of a role in Suicide Squad. While I doubt that the Joker will make an appearance in Batman V Superman I wouldn't be surprised if there was more than a passing mention in both films to Batman and Joker's complicated relationship. I think Batman's role in Suicide Squad will just be a quick cameo to tie the two films together, The Joker and Batman's story is 75 years old. Both characters are interesting separately but together they have formed some of the best comic books of all time. The Joker's Five Way Revenge, The Dark Knight Returns, The Killing Joke, Death in the Family, Mad Love, Death of the Family, and the more recent Endgame are frequently listed on "Best Comic Stories Ever" lists. It doesn't stop there. There's a reason that the Joker is prominently featured in a lot of the animated Batman films and in each live action interpretation. Batman and the Joker have countless tales to tell. Plus, seeing two actors of Affleck's and Leto's caliber tackle them is too good to pass up!  

THEME SONG

Yes, this is something that is out of Jared Leto's control. But this is still an important aspect to the character. Just like Batman has always had a catchy, memorable theme, so has the Joker (for the most part). In the 1960s Batman TV series, each villain had a distinct theme song. The same goes for the animated Batman series from the early 90s. In The Dark Knight, the Joker had a very simple but creepy theme. It reminded me of Jaws. It was chilling. When it started playing, you knew that the shit was about to hit the fan. The Joker deserves a theme that's memorable and off-putting. After all, he's a memorable and off-putting character.

DO WE WANNA KNOW HOW HE GOT THOSE SCARS?

Alright. Let's address the elephant in the room. Leto's Joker is tatted up. Like big time. It's kind of weird actually. Like, who's the guy that tattooed the Joker? I mean he's gotta be dead now right? The Joker has killed for a lot less. Regardless, I feel that the tattoos must be addressed at some point. I mean, we don't necessarily need to see him sitting in a tattoo parlor or anything like that (although that would be hilarious). I just mean we could get an explanation of some sort. At the very least someone should acknowledge them in a meta-commentary for the audience. Maybe the tattoos represent a kill? Maybe they were always there. Maybe he just wanted one and then got a bunch (it happens a lot). I just feel like we should get some sort of reasoning for all those tats! I mean, it's cool that he looks different. Right off the bat we're given a completely different looking character. I just wanna know why! 

NO ORIGIN! 

One of the best parts of the Joker from The Dark Knight is that we never learned where he came from. He just showed up and started causing mayhem. Sure there were hints here and there, and many fans have speculated on his origins, but we never truly saw where the Joker came from. And that's true for the comic books too. The Killing Joke and the recent Zero Year stories gave us a glimpse of the Joker as the Red Hood but we never knew his name. We don't know his family, friends, or very much of his history. Tim Burton's Batman gave us a name and origin for the Joker but that's pretty unique to that film. No one else has really dared to give the Joker a name or a history pre-Red Hood days. Gotham is tackling this somewhat but I think they're gonna keep us guessing as to who the Joker really is. I think when Jared Leto walks on screen that should be it. We don't know who he is or where he came from. That makes him much scarier. Not only could he be anyone but it's possible he's just a demon that Hell no longer wanted . . . 

COMEDIC GENIUS 

The Joker is one of the smartest men in Gotham City. He's a chemist, master strategist, and master escape artist. That description can also describe Batman. It's part of the reason they're such a good match for each other. They're both brilliant men. Sure the Joker is crazy but he's not stupid. He's taken on and beaten the Justice League. Also . . . he's kinda funny. Some of the funniest moments of Batman: the Animated Series were Joker lines. He's got a pretty sick sense of humor but deep down we all do. I think Leto should be given some genuinely funny lines in the film. The Joker should be terrifying and brilliant but he's still a comedian. He may not be able to make Batman laugh, but the audience will laugh for him. I'm not suggesting the Joker be campy in Suicide Squad but it's not a bad idea to give him some good one liners. His name is the Joker for crying out loud! 

THE BOY YOUR MOTHER WARNED YOU ABOUT

In a strange way, the Joker and Harley Quinn's relationship is a cautionary tale about falling in love with the wrong person. I like to think that the Joker does have some feelings for Harley but he's too selfish, crazy, obsessed with Batman to really appreciate her the way she appreciates him. The story goes that Harley was once Dr. Harleen Quinzel. She convinced the board at Arkham to let her treat the Joker. He tricked her into falling in love with him and he's been using her ever since. There have been times where she's tried to break away and be a free agent. Not counting the Suicide Squad, she has fought on the right side of the law. However, she can't help herself and keeps going back to the Joker. Leto and Margot Robbie (playing Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad) are top notch actors. I believe they can bring a real tragic, romantic, unsettling dynamic to these two characters that we've never seen before. 

FIGHTER

The Joker is this skinny motherfucker with seemingly no muscles or training whatsoever. Still, he's been known to kick Batman's ass. And Batman has been trained by ninjas, samurais, boxers, etc! It's weird, but since he's Batman's nemesis we just kind of accept it. I want to see Jared Leto be able to take on Batman, Deadshot, Rick Flagg, et al and just wreck them. The Joker may be scrawny but he ain't no pushover! He's time and again proven that he can hold his own in a fight, and isn't afraid to fight dirty. Leto looks like he works out, he's got some tone to him. One of my favorite Joker stories is The Man Who Laughs by Ed Brubaker. In that story, which details the first encounter with the Joker and Batman, Batman is constantly surprised by how fast and nimble the Joker is. With all of Batman's training he still has to stay on his guard with this somewhat unassuming man. I think Leto will pull that off very well. 

OMNIPRESENT

In the recent (and brilliant) Joker story Death of the Family and Endgame, the Joker seems to be everywhere and nowhere. Again, this is another quality he shares with Batman. Part of what makes Batman scary to criminals is that he seems to be everywhere at once. The Joker is scary to our heroes because he seems to always know where the heroes will and won't be. There is even a line in The Black Mirror where Jim Gordon calls his ex-wife and tells her to hide. He says that she needs to go to a hotel because the Joker seems to always know where Gordon and Batman's loved ones will be. I'm not exactly sure how this can be accomplished in the film, but I think a line similar to the Gordon one I mentioned or some myths about the Joker as told by Harley or the other Squad members would be really fun and creepy to see. The Joker is the DCU's boogeyman. I know Jared Leto will be able to pull off the creepy grin and stare, but hopefully he can also pull off making us believe the Joker could be sitting next to us without us even realizing it. 

MAKE IT YOUR OWN, MR. LETO 

Above all else, the most important thing that Jared Leto do as the Joker is make him unique. The best interpretations of the Joker have been the ones that are different and memorable. Mark Hamill's Joker was wacky but still psychotic. Jack Nicholson's Joker was a cold hearted, comedic gangster. Heath Ledger's Joker was a calculating, unpredictable madman. The best ones were all different from each other but still identifiable as the Joker. As I said before, if anyone can follow in Heath Ledger's footsteps it's definitely Jared Leto. He's an Academy Award winning actor for crying out loud! He'll give us a Joker to haunt our nightmares for years to come. I'm counting on it :) 

These are my suggestions for what I want out of Jared Leto's Joker performance. I'm extremely excited for Suicide Squad next year. More than that, I'm excited to see my favorite villain on the big screen again. And this time he's bringing Harley Quinn. That's icing on a very awesome cake!

Yeah, like that cake! 

Till Next Time!

JJ - the Comic Junkie!